Form

When I went to the Big Flea a few weeks ago, a certain stoneware form caught my eye a number of times. I am sure I had seen them before, but I noticed so many, and was so charmed by their shape that I started doing some research on them. These stoneware bottles are a historical form, often containing beer or ginger beer. They are often stamped with the location where they were made. I was struck by the straight sides, the clean edge of the shoulder, and the thick, chunky rim. It seems these stoneware bottles are collectible, and I'm enjoying the variations in them, ranging from pretty primitive to nicely glazed with clear lettering. I didn't manage to come home with one, but obviously I've caught the bug. The images above were collected with a quick internet search. I combed through Etsy, too, to see what might be out there. I was not disappointed. The pieces I collected below are not limited to the beer bottles, because I've found that these historic forms served a number of purposes, but had similar elements of design. Below, a ginger beer bottle from burrock. This stoneware bottle has a loop handle - found at artzybitz. TeaAtHomeWithOlivia has this great ink bottle from London. Below is a vintage wine decanter with cups from shopthrifted. KimmsAttic has this great shouldered syrup jug. The stoneware German wine bottle below is from fleabird. CoolVintage has this slick apothecary bottle. So of course I started thinking that I should try to throw this kind of bottle myself. I've thrown one so far, and I was pretty pleased with the result. I'll post pictures sometime soon. I did find another potter on Etsy who had the same idea, and his bottles are fantastic. While I'm waiting for mine to dry, fire, glaze and fire... I'll be admiring splitfirepottery's beer bottle collector series.

I had already been thinking of throwing historic-inspired forms, and I have a few in progress. And these beer bottles are keeping my brain fizzing with ideas.