Evolution of Oyster Jar Types
The First Jars (1680+) New York
Since no examples have been identified, we don’t know what the earliest, possibly circa late 17th century, oyster jars looked like and whether they were made of stoneware or earthenware. Frankly, we don’t even know such jars were even made, but there is reason to believe that this may have occurred in colonial New York given the abundance of oysters and the availability of clay. Prior to the arrival of the German Stoneware potter to New York in the 1720’s there would have been earthenware (redware) potters, but little is known about what these pioneers produced.
Mid-18th Century jars (1740-1760) New York
The first New York oyster jars were likely being produced very soon after the arrival of German stoneware potters in New York in the 1720’s. We don’t know what the first examples looked like, who made them and when exactly the experimented with this form, but we can imagine there would have been some trial and error in developing those prototypes. The closest thing we can get to visualizing these jars are a group of jars recovered from the 1760 wreck of the Machault which would have been a couple/few decades later. The Machault was a French Frigate that sank in the Restigouche River (Quebec) during the French and Indian (Seven Years) War. The cargo recovered from this vessel included a large amount of English ceramics along with eight oyster jars. How a group of New York oyster jars made their way onto a French frigate during a time of war is all part of the interesting history of the oyster jar in the age of sail.
Late-18th Century Jars (1770’s) New York
The early 1770’s was a period in when oyster houses began to proliferate in Manhattan and along with their popularity was an increased focus on oyster pickling. During 1774 in particular, there were numerous mentions of pickled oysters, oyster jars and oyster pot corks in the NY papers. This period would represent something of a highpoint in the oyster industry just prior to the onset of the Revolution and British occupation of the city that would force many oysterman to leave and bring the trade to a near stand-still until the war ended in 1783. While pickled oysters were advertised for sale during occupation, it is not clear if these jars were the same as those produced prior to the war or something different.
Last Quarter of the 18th Century Jars (1780-1800) New York
Sometime during, or soon after the American Revolution (1776-1783) a different type and size of oyster jar came to be produced in New York. It is not clear what led to this evolution, whether it had something to do the lower availability of oysters or fewer working potters in Manhattan, but something caused a change. In this case the jars became appreciably smaller and the gallery around the opening became more refined, yet simpler. None of these jars have a gallery (lowered area surrounding the opening) as well-defined and deep as the slightly later Commeraw type jars that appear about the turn of the 19th century.
Commeraw-Type Jars (1797-1819) New York
By far the largest group of surviving oyster jars are of the type produced during the period 1797 to 1819 by the black potter Thomas Commeraw working at Corlears Hook in Lower Manhattan. Although he was not the only potter making such jars at that time, his are the most recognizable in that many included imprints of the name and address of the oystermen who used them including several black oystermen. Although the size of these jars varied, most were of the small single-serving size that held 30-40 oysters. A smaller number (3) of large jars, possibly holding as many as 100 oysters, also survive.
Mid-Atlantic Jars (1806-1850) Virginia & Maryland
Soon after the turn of the 19th century oyster jars started to be produced in the Mid-Atlantic region including Baltimore, MD and Alexandria, VA. The form of the earliest (circa 1806) of these is not known for sure, but is believed to mirror the earlier versions produced in Manhattan. This style could have been imported to the region by captains traveling down the coast into ports like Charleston or may have been a case of parallel evolution. By 1812 New York potter Henry Remmey moved to Baltimore and he would have been familiar with the form. By the 1830’s the late 18th century NY style jar was refined into distinctive Mid-Atlantic type with expertly executed gallery details with sharp edges and light gray clay bodies.
Refined Collared Jars (1825-1850) Connecticut & New York
In about 1825 the style of the New York oyster jar evolved considerably to a form characterized by a pronounced raised collar surrounding the opening that would better receive the cork or wooden bung. Although not as easy to stack, these jars would have been more secure in protecting the perishable contents. From surviving examples and historic research, it appears that this form originated in or at least was fully adopted by one or more Norwalk, CT potteries for the New York market. By this time, the size of the jars was a little more standard.