Ugly Face Jugs!



from http://www.briandedmond.com/pottery

Fifth grade art majors have been learning about the tradition of ugly face jug pottery in the southeastern United States. The tradition dates back to the 1840's and is rooted in African slave culture.

 It's really interesting to read stories about the origins of the craft. Some people say that faces were added to pottery to scare children away from harmful substances and others say they were to keep evil spirits away. Nobody knows what the truth is exactly, but the tradition of building ugly face jugs continues today in the southeastern US, particularly in Georgia and South Carolina. Only now, they're made as fine art pieces and not so much for practical uses!

 Fifth grade art majors have been building their own version of ugly face jugs! They used coil building to construct these sculptures and have been practicing using the score and slip method to attach pieces of clay.

 
Ugly Face Pottery Resources:
The Black Potter
Face Jug History