For those of you not familiar, face jugs are a unique form of southern Appalachian folk pottery, especially popular in North Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
No one really knows the true origin of the first face jug. Some evidence suggest they are descended from African art traditions. Many southern plantations operated pottery shops and it was not uncommon for slaves to be taught the pottery craft. In turn, they incorporated their own culture into some of their pieces.
Others say that they were made to scare children away from harmful liquids, especially moonshine whiskey.
One thing is for certain, the art of making face jugs was fast becoming a dying art until the Smithsonian Institute took a trip down to White County, Georgia to film a potter named Lanier Meaders in the late 1960’s. Lanier Meaders almost singlehandedly kept this quirky tradition alive. Today, both studio potters and traditional folk potters enjoy creating these unique pieces. A recent episode of Antiques Roadshow estimated the value of a Meaders Face Jug at between $1,500-$2,500.
