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Face Jugs by Various Artists No one is 100% sure of the origination story of southern American face jugs, but two stories in particular seem to capture some of the mystique surrounding these oddly humorous creations. The first is the idea that face jugs originated in the piedmont region of North Carolina and Georgia; these were the original childproof caps- sculpt a scary face on the jug to keep the kids out of the contents. We figure the folks of Appalachia kept their moonshine in face jugs long before mason jars became popular. The second story has to do with devil jugs or face jugs with devil horns. The theory is that these scary jugs originated in slave communities. When someone in the community died, a devil jug was made and placed on the grave for one year. If the jug broke sometime during that year, it meant the deceased's soul was wrestling with the devil. Most of the face jugs in our collection come from the Catawba Valley region of North Carolina and the mountains of North Georgia. Many of the artists we represent continue working in traditional ways with traditional materials—digging their own clay, firing in groundhog kilns and once-glazing their wares with alkaline, or "tobacco spit" glazes made from the ash of their woodstoves. We regularly represent 8-10 potters who create face jugs for us; They are listed below, alphabetically by first name. If you need information on one of these artists, or if you're looking for a particular potter, please do not hesitate contacting us. A.V. Smith has been making pottery for 30 years. He started turning pots in a friend's basement at the age of 16, and realized soon enough that pottery would be his life’s work. After graduating from Wingate College’s (North Carolina) pottery program, he went straight to work, first at Pinehurst Pottery, then in a studio/shop he shared with Catawba Valley potter Charlie Lisk in Pinehurst. CHARLIE Brown (b.1949) comes from seven generations of potters. He runs the Brown Pottery in Arden, NC, which was established in 1923. The Browns have been making face jugs longer than any other pottery in the South, according to a publication of the Southern Folk Pottery Collectors Society. Charlie makes face jugs and buggy jugs and is starting to produce swirl jugs. He says he likes making face jugs: "each face is different and interesting to do and I try for a certain look- mean, stupid or whatever." The Browns use clay dug around Arden and turn functional items as well as face jugs. They use alkaline glazes and fire in both wood-burning and electrical kilns. CHARLIE Lisk can be found on his individual artist page GRACE Hewell is part of the famous Hewell Family of the rural Georgia Mountains. Her grandfather, Eli D. Hewell, established the pottery about 1890, which has been in continuous operation since. Her distinctive lopsided faces have bulging blue eyes and cheeks that suggest mouths full. The teeth are created in the traditional style, using broken porcelain plates. MICHEL Bayne can be found on his individual artist page MIKE Ball can be found on his individual artist page STEVE Abee, a Burke County, NC native, is one of the younger, yet talented and popular potters of the Catawba Valley tradition. As with so many of the Catawba potters, Abee became interested in pottery making after attending a Burlon Craig kiln sale. After first turning a pot with Michael Calhoun in Blowing Rock, he eventually made his own potter's wheel. In 1994 Steven was in full production and ready to have his first sale of pottery fired in an electric kiln, but soon after Abee earned his potter's credentials by building his own underground kiln. He now sticks with the traditional methods of the Catawba potter, digging his own clay, mixing his own glazes, and firing in his wood fired kiln. WALTER Flemming, a Presbyterian minister by day, has always been interested in rural tasks and early American craftsmanship. In the seventies Walter began making white oak baskets as a hobby. Later he became intrigued with the process of making pottery. After he had created several pieces, he intentionally went to meet Burlon Craig, the well-known potter from the Catawba Valley and asked Craig to critique his work. Burlon later introduced him to another skilled potter by the name of Charlie Lisk. Over the years, Walter found his relationship with these two folk potters to be invaluable. WAYNE Hewell is part of the Hewell family of Georgia, potters for more than a hundred years. The patriarch of this family was Eli D Hewell-who established the pottery in 1890. His aunt is Marie Rodgers- the first woman folk potter to independently operate entirely on her own. Wayne's lineage has undoubtedly influenced him. Tobacco Spit or Alkaline glazes are used, thus creating the greenish, runny surfaces on the jugs. WILLIAM Flowers is a self-taught folk art potter from North Carolina. He began making functional pottery in 1969. He built his first potters wheel using an old truck axle, odd metal parts, and a bag of cement. His earliest wood firing experience nearly set his home on fire. Through trial and error and experimenting, William has become a collected southern folk artist. Jo, William's wife, assists him in the pottery and creates a variety of free-spirited face jug personalities and folk art clay creatures representing her own relaxed attitude for life.

Mike Ball, Snaggle Tooth Face Jug Wood Fired Stoneware size:  13" $ 200.- (ball62) view larger image in new window ask me about "Mike Ball, Snaggle Tooth Face Jug"

Wayne Hewell, Curly Eared Devil Jug Wood Fired Stoneware size:  9" $185.- (wh19) view larger image in new window ask me about "Wayne Hewell, Curly Eared Devil Jug"

Wayne Hewell, Stern Face Jug Wood Fired Stoneware size:  6" $100.- (wh18) view larger image in new window ask me about "Wayne Hewell, Stern Face Jug"

Blue Boy Face Jug Glazed Electric Fired Clay size:  7" tall $ 95.- (sl59) view larger image in new window ask me about "Blue Boy Face Jug"

Grinning Man Face Jug Glazed Electric Fired Clay size:  7" tall $ 95.- (SOLD) view larger image in new window ask me about "Grinning Man Face Jug"

Swirl Face Jug Walter Fleming size:  13 1/2" tall $175.- (flem71) view larger image in new window ask me about "Swirl Face Jug"

Multi Headed Face Jug Painted & Fired clay size:  9" tall-including stopper $ 160.- (sl62) view larger image in new window ask me about "Multi Headed Face Jug"

Wayne Hewell, Worried Man Jug Wood Fired Stoneware size:  9" $185.- (wh20) view larger image in new window ask me about "Wayne Hewell, Worried Man Jug"

Mike Ball, Blue Eyed Baby Face Jug hand-dug, wood-fired clay size:  4" tall $ 55.- (afball55) view larger image in new window ask me about "Mike Ball, Blue Eyed Baby Face Jug"

Two Spout Swirl Face Jug Walter Fleming size:  14 1/2" tall $175.- (flem72) view larger image in new window ask me about "Two Spout Swirl Face Jug"

Mike Ball, Face Jug Vase 2 wood-fired clay size:  8.5" tall $ 120.- (afball40) view larger image in new window ask me about "Mike Ball, Face Jug Vase 2"

Wayne Hewell, Swirl Man Jug Wood Fired Stoneware size:  6" $100.- (wh15) view larger image in new window ask me about "Wayne Hewell, Swirl Man Jug"