RARE THOMAS STAHL REDWARE POTTERY CREAMER & SUGAR 1936

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EXTREMELY RARE -- THOMAS STAHL SIGNED AMERICAN POTTERY THIS IS A THREE PIECE SET -- CREAMER AND SUGAR WITH LID AMERICAN PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN STYLE OF POTTERY FOLK ART POTTERY BOTH PIECES ARE SIGNED ON THE BOTTOM BY THOMAS STAHL CREAMER: "Made in Stahl's Pottery by Thomas ... Aug-11-1936 " SUGAR: "Made in Stahl's Pottery By Thomas Stahl 1935" -- has another number in the round SUGAR: Measures 4 1/2" X 3 1/4" -- 2 small cracks on lid handle -- two places with glaze loss -- there are a few tiny glaze spots and/or tiny chips -- very hard to notice on bowl -- two larger glaze missing spots on very bottom -- SEE PHOTOS. CREAMER: Measures 3 //4" x 3 1/2" is in near perfect condition. HISTORY OF STAHL POTTERY, POWDER VALLEY, PA --From the Stahl's Pottery Website: Stahl redware, a traditional Pennsylvania German style of pottery, was first produced by Charles Stahl from approximately 1850, until his death in 1896. Upon his death, his sons Thomas and Isaac took over the family business. The brothers continued making pottery until 1902, when the small family-run business found that it could not compete with mass-production pottery manufacturers. For a time after the closing of the pottery, the Stahl brothers went their separate ways, worked various jobs and raised their families. It was during this time that several events occured, two in particular, which brought about the re-establishment of the pottery. While attending an auction, Isaac witnessed the sale of pottery his father had sold for 6 to 8 cents, selling between $2.50 and $6.50. Also, local newspapers reported the death of who they called the last traditional redware potter. Isaac and Thomas realized that the art was not dead, and that there was a huge potential market for their skill. Both men were elderly and interested in supplementing their incomes, so it was decided that Thomas's property would become the home of the new Stahl Pottery. Thomas, Isaac and James Stahl erected a new wood-fired beehive kiln and the stone barn was turned into a combination potting shed, work room, storage facility , and showroom for the finished product. Pottery-making began in 1934 at the current site of the Stahl Pottery. Over 75 different forms were made at this location and many other items were turned. The Stahl's created traditional pieces -- pie plates, sgraffito and slip decorated plates, flower pots , sponge cake molds, pitchers, jugs and mixing bowls -- and many other items as well, including fat lamps, bean pots, cookie jars, fish molds, teapots, creamers and sugars, water bottles, mugs, cups and saucers, casseroles with lids, ash trays and paper weights. Although some of their pottery was made for ordinary household use, much of their pottery was custom made or designed for decorative use. Thomas' daughter, Carrie Stahl Schultz, specialized in creating sgraffito designs. Thomas and Isaac adopted the practice of signing and dating most of their pottery and including "Made in Stahl's Pottery", "Powder Valley, PA.", sometimes listing the weather or a special notation. Thomas died on December 10 of 1942, but the pottery continued operation until late spring or early summer of 1943 when Isaac was forced to halt production because of materials shortages brought about by World War II. Isaac resumed production by the fall of 1945 and continued working until his death in 1948. Russell Stahl, Isaac's son continued operating the kiln sporadically for the next several years. The kiln was last fired in 1956 by Russell. Today, The Stahl's Pottery Preservation Society, Inc. works to preserve the traditional art of redware pottery. The pottery site contains the Thomas and Alice Stahl home, wood-fired beehive pottery kiln, and pottery buildings which were used in various pottery making functions. .. read more

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