Physical description:
The exterior is a tan glaze with a cobalt blue design of a plant sprig with seed, or pea, pods split open to show the seeds. The maker's name is stamped into the shoulder. Interior is dark brown glaze. The cylindrical body is topped by a flaring rim and two small handles.
Content description:
Made and used in Michigan Bar, CA Food storage crock, made of stoneware, a clay which acquires a very hard non-porous finish when fired, even without being glazed. Made circa 1860-1870 in Michigan Bar, California. Marked "Thos. Gaffney, Michigan Bar." History: Michigan Bar was a prominent early mining camp on the Consumnes River in Sacramento County. The "Bar" was the river sand bar that miners worked for gold; it was called Michigan Bar because the first miners there were from Michigan. The town was the center of gold trade and commerce in the area, and one of the earliest and largest pottery works in California. This crock was made by an independent potter, Thomas Gaffney, who marked it with the town's name as well as his own because Michigan Bar had a reputation for producing good pottery.
