Weathered Bronze was developed by Pam in the early 1990’s. This glaze has a more matte surface than most of our other glazes. We produce this glaze in both the wood fired and gas fired kilns - each produces wonderful variations. Weathered Bronze utilizes a high concentration of Black Copper Oxide which produces the rich green and turquoise colors. The atmosphere inside the kiln affects the final outcome. In the gas kiln, the atmosphere is more controlled and allows for subtle variation. In the wood kiln, the atmosphere changes a bit during the firing, yielding even more difference in color and surface texture. Usually when produced in the wood kiln, we introduce a small amount of salt, further enriching the colors produced by this glaze.

Frogskin is a name coined by the Busbees in the early years of Jugtown’s existence. Originally, Frogskin was produced by dipping a pot into a slurry of Albany Slip, a clay mined along the Hudson River in New York state. The pot would then be placed in the Groundhog kiln and fired with a light application of salt during the firing to around 2350 degrees. The combination of salt and the varying atmosphere in the kiln creates the speckling of green and gold. Jugtown pioneered using Albany Slip in this way, as it had previously been utilized mainly as a liner glaze for utilitarian wares in other parts of the US, and would yield a muddy brown color. The mining of Albany Slip clay ceased in the 1990’s and once Jugtown’s supply was depleted several years later, Pam and Travis reformulated the glaze with another clay mined near the original source, along with other materials needed to guarantee the correct color and performance. Frogskin is a favorite at Jugtown, and is still produced in the wood fired Groundhog kiln, meaning no two pieces will be identical.

Black Ankle - In 1961 Charles Moore and Bobby Owens experimented with methods of combining the Jugtown Dogwood White glaze with the Frogskin glaze, to make a new glaze they named Black Ankle. Black Ankle, a community southwest of Seagrove, was named after moonshiners and their families, running in the night from lawmen who found their stills. They ran through burnt grass and streaked their ankles with soot. From that time on the community was called Black Ankle, and the glaze is reminiscent of swirling soot and ash. Black Ankle pieces are always one of a kind, due to the application and mingling of two glazes, and the kiln atmosphere while firing. Black Ankle is reactive to the salt applied to the kiln during the firing, as well as the ash from the fire and varying amounts of oxygen present while the kiln is burning. It is a temperamental glaze, so production of Black Ankle has always been, and continues to be limited.

Salt Glaze is a term for not only the glaze, but the method of producing pots that was common in central NC for generations. Likely discovered in what is now Germany several hundred years ago, salt glazing is the term for introducing salt into the kiln during the hottest part of the firing. The salt turns into a vapor and those salt vapors adhere to the pot, creating the unmistakable orange peel surface texture and warm gray-brown colors. The reality is, a big part of the color of a salt glaze pot is the clay it’s made of. The salt enhances the colors produced by the elements and minerals that makeup the clay body. We produce all salt glaze at Jugtown in the Groundhog kiln. This means the pots are not only affected by the salt, but also by the flame from the fire, and ash and smoke produced by the burning wood used to fuel the kiln. Groundhog firings at Jugtown typically take 16-20 hours and reach temperatures around 2400 degrees at the front of the kiln. Using native clay that we process ourselves help us achieve the salt glaze look and feel we love.

Figural and Sculpture Forms - This is a good place to discuss the animal pieces made mostly by Pam and Bayle, and the techniques they use to get the great details on them. These pieces are produced on a very limited basis, as our focus is mainly on pots. However, Pam and Bayle both excel with these pieces and there’s usually a list of folks waiting to see them finished. Pam is well known for her crows, frogs, and other animals produced over the years. Bayle is particularly adept at layering slips to create very lifelike turtles, whales, and several animals she is inspired to create from the ones that live on her farm.

Chinese Blue - One of Jugtown’s most sought-after glazes, both historic and currently; here’s a bit of history to begin to understand why this glaze came to be. Mr. Busbee began experimenting with copper in glazes in the 1920’s. He consulted chemists at different glaze companies, as well as Greaves Walker, a professor at NC State Univeristy. His goal was to produce a glaze that was reminiscent of the copper reds and blues seen on ancient pots from China - hence “Chinese” in the name. After Mr. Busbee’s passing in 1947, Mrs. Busbee decided not to continue making Chinese Blue. It was likely less of a choice and more of a necessity as ingredients to make the glaze had become scarce during WWII, and Mr. Busbee was the only one who knew the formula. It is also likely he performed all the glaze application of the early version of Chinese Blue, as that is a key to getting the correct color. Firing is also paramount - the correct amount of reduction at the right time is required to produce the mottled blue-green-red colors for true Chinese Blue. During the time Chinese Blue was produced, Rancie Moore worked at Jugtown as the kiln master, among other jobs. He learned how to control the Groundhog kiln to produce this glaze, and is likely responsible for firing all that was made of the first version. The Busbees did not like garrish, bright glazes, and true to form, Chinese Blue was striking, yet understated. The colors were muted and soft, and often the surface was somewhat matte in places. There were a limited group of shapes that were selected to be glazed in Chinese Blue, as they Busbees felt it important for the glaze and form to go hand in hand. The first iteration of Chinese Blue was a lead based glaze, and was produced from the late 1920’s to the mid 1940’s.

Now, for information about currently produced Chinese Blue. In the mid 1980’s, after Vernon had purchased the pottery, Pam recognized the need to develop a modern version of the glaze. Pam recalled “I saw Vernon making exceptional vases, and I knew it was important for Jugtown to be able to offer them in Chinese Blue, since this glaze was such an important part of our story”. Pam did extensive testing and came up with a formula that incorporates a locally dug clay to produce a wonderfully mingled turquoise-green-blue-oxblood red. This is not an exact copy of the original glaze and it does not contain lead. Instead, Pam and Vernon selected the aspects they favored most about he original glaze as the basis for the new version. Knowing the Busbees liked mingling of colors, and preferred glazes to be understated, the Chinese Blue currently made is many times extremely close to the original, but not a carbon copy. It is still a copper based glaze - copper is a volatile ingredient and controlling the oxygen in the kiln during firing is exceptionally important. Often we produce Chinese Blue in the kiln where a small amount of salt is added, this further fluxes the glaze and allows for more variation of colors. The thickness and application of the glaze is also important - usually applying the glaze in stages helps ensure many colors appear at once. This is by far the longest description on this page, but it seemed necessary to go in to detail for Chinese Blue. It’s a glaze that is illusive, at times frustrating to produce, and yet a good firing wipes the slate clean and makes us pause at the magic that appears on the pots.