Bowl
Inscribed: Tho [illegible] Krause / Jan 1[illegible] 1827 [illegible]
Thomas Krause (1798-1843), the son of potter Gottlieb Krause (1760-1802), probably apprenticed to Bethabara potter John Butner (1778-1857) since his own father died when he was only four years old. By 1827 when he made this bowl, Thomas was a well-trained potter and ready to embark on a career as a master in the trade.
At almost 22 inches in diameter, this vessel was probably used to make enough bread dough to create loaves that would feed a family for several days. Moravian potters rarely signed their wares, yet Thomas signed this “Tho [illegible] Krause / Jan 1[illegible] 1827 [illegible]”. The fact that Thomas signed this bowl shortly before his move to Bethania to establish himself as a potter there suggests this bowl had special significance to the young tradesman. Perhaps it was one of the first wares he made once he transitioned from journeyman to master potter.
How will you spend this Super Bowl Sunday? If you’re not into football and need something to do, check out the Old Salem collection at https://www.oldsalem.org/scholarship-research/collection/. We add new objects to the online collection regularly!