Bowl
PeriodCirca 1880 - 1900
MediumGlazed stoneware
Dimensions3.75 × 7 in. (9.5 × 17.8 cm)
SignedPainted in blue, "J.H. Shepherd."
ClassificationsStoneware
Credit LineGift of Mrs. J. Amory Haskell, 1934
Object number638
DescriptionA stoneware bowl, light tan in color, measuring 4" in height and 7" in diameter across the top, with a thick rounded rim. The bowl is inscribed in dark blue lettering, "J.H. Shepherd."Curatorial RemarksStoneware vessels sometimes include the names of businesses which commissioned jars, crocks, jugs, and bowls as advertisements. This small-sized bowl could have been used to store a variety of items, including butter, lard, or other foodstuffs. Although the maker of this bowl has not been identified, it was most likely a product of one of the potteries in and around Monmouth still in operation towards the end of the nineteenth century. This bowl was also given the accession number of 1979.508.30.NotesThe "J. H. Shepherd" boldly painted on the side of this charming little stoneware bowl was James H. Shepherd. Born in 1864 on a Freehold farm, Shepherd worked for a time as a farmer, but at the age of 25 turned in his plow for a career as a grocer. He built a dry goods and grocery store in West Freehold, later relocating to Emory Street in Asbury Park, Monmouth County, New Jersey. He was highly active in local Asbury politics, civic concerns, and was also a Mason. Although plagued by economic issues, including a tangled mortgage and bankruptcy incident in 1900, Shepherd was apparently greatly respected and well-liked in the community. James Shepherd died at the age of 45 of liver cancer.
