Apostle Pitcher

This octagonal pitcher depicting 8 apostles is one of many which were mass produced in the 19th century. By utilizing a technique employing plaster moulds, these pitchers were made for affordability and durability. Although mass produced, this pitcher maintains a great level of detail. The apostles are placed in Gothic inspired niches done in relief moulding. Each apostles’ garments are clearly defined as well as the welcoming expressions on their bearded faces. The white coloration of the earthenware gives the illusion that the pitcher is carved from marble or made out of porcelain, which are much more costly materials than the salt-glazed earthenware and pewter which it is actually made out of. The apostle pitchers or jugs were one of the most popular relief-moulded pitcher designs and are in the collections of other museums such as the Apostle Jug produced by Charles Meigh & Co. located in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Apparently, James Lincoln Huntington received this pitcher from an old patient and kept it because the pitcher reminded him of the one his Grandmother, Hannah Dane Sargent, used for syrup when he was a child.