Quilt, “Blue Flowers” pattern

Mary Lucas

1989

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flower, leaf
Tall, baluster-shaped face jug of tan stoneware covered with a darker alkaline glaze, the two dark blue eyes look off into the distance, the two small ears protrude from the sides of the jug, the nose is somewhat flat above a mouth with curled lips and white teeth, the two cheeks and the chin are bulbous and there is a piece of bulbous, glazed clay sticking out from the mouth (possibly a cigarette), a small handle on the backside.
A figural jug depicting an African-American man with exaggerated facial features, particularly his caricatured lips, nose and ears. His curly hair is formed by incised repeating loops, resembling scribbles. He wears a cap, hoop earrings, shirt with a stand up collar (and single visible stud or button), cravat, and a coat with broad lapels and buttons impressed with “J. LEHMAN,” the maker’s name. A large, buckle-like square probably surrounded a paper label for whatever product the jug contained. The figure has arms, but no hands, and is rendered to appear as if his hands are shoved in the pockets of his coat. There are small air holes at the back of each arm to prevent an explosion during firing. The jug’s handle is a shaped like the number 9, and is finished (where the tail of the handle meets the body of the jug) with a mold-formed grape and grape leaf motif found in some of Lehman’s other decorated vessels. There appears to be an oval incised on the bottom of the vessel.
Goose in Pond/Young Man's Fancy quilt, red and tan