Maker
Roark Pottery Company(American, active c. 1868–1884)American, active c. 1868–1884
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Jar
Datec. 1868–1884
Made inTexas, United States
MediumSalt-glazed stoneware
Dimensions9 1/4 × 6 5/8 in. diameter (23.5 × 16.8 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of William J. Hill
Object numberB.2012.176
Non exposé
Explore Further
Department
Bayou BendObject Type
James Roark was the son-in-law of Denton County, Texas, potter John Cranston. After working for his in-laws, he established his own shop not long after John Cranston’s death. Like his father-in-law, he sometimes used cobalt slip to decorate his pots, a technique common in the Northeast and Midwest, but rare in Texas.
This jar bears the impressed mark “ROARK.”
Provenance[Jon St. Clair, Austin]; purchased by William J. Hill (1934–2018), Houston, 2004; given to MFAH, 2012.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Impressed, in arch on shoulder: ROARK
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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Roark Pottery Company
c. 1868–1884
Salt-glazed stoneware with applied cobalt slip decoration
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