Face Time in North Georgia

You see them in nearly every folk potter’s shop in northeast Georgia. With crooked teeth and smoky brown and olive green visages, they stare unblinkingly with googly, sometimes menacing eyes. Called face jugs, these vessels represent an art form that traces its origin to the slaves who brought their stoneware traditions from West Central Africa to South Carolina’s Edgefield District in the mid-19th century.

Early face jugs followed African stylistic themes, but their use remains a mystery. Were they meant to frighten children into behaving? Were they religious talismans? Were they placed in kilns to protect pottery from evil spirits? No one knows for certain.

What is known is that around 1900, white potters picked up the style. Farmers learned to shape, glaze, and fire clay wares out of necessity in the days before refrigeration and mass-produced containers. They started out making stoneware vessels to store syrup, pickles, vegetables, even moonshine. Those who were good at their craft sold their wares, supplying rural families with pitchers, bowls, and butter churns. In northeast Georgia, potters congregated in Gillsville and Mossy Creek, attracted to those areas for their rich natural deposits of clay, which they dug from the creek beds.

Folk pottery differs from art pottery in how it is learned. “You can’t learn folk pottery in a book,” explains Chris Brooks, director of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia. “It is passed down in families. You may be able to make a folk form, but that doesn’t make you a folk potter.”

It’s all about heritage. In Georgia, the Meaders family has continued the old alkaline-glazed stoneware tradition. Distinguished for their fine vessels, the Meaders trace their artisanal lineage back more than 200 years. John Milton Meaders founded Meaders Pottery in 1893. His grandson Lanier became famous for his face jugs after the Smithsonian Institution produced a documentary about Meaders Pottery in 1967 for the first Festival of American Folklife. During Lanier’s lifetime (1917-1998), he created more than 10,000 face jugs—some of which sold for $3,000 apiece. Today, Lanier’s relatives carry on the Meaders’ folk-pottery practice.

Although some contemporary folk potters have succumbed to the convenience of electric wheels and pre-made glazes, artists such as Clint Alderman relish the historical aspects of their craft. Alderman digs his own clay and hand-grinds his glazes out of ash and broken glass. He does, however, use a motor-driven pug mill to mix his clay instead of the time-honored mule-drawn mill. “It’s just too expensive to feed a mule,” Alderman admits.

You’ll find Alderman and members of the Meaders family along the Folk Potters Trail, which weaves through the countryside in White, Banks, and Hall counties. Organized by the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, the trail includes 17 potters. It’s delightful to visit the artisans in their studios, where you can also purchase pieces, ranging in price from $20 to $1,000. Plan two days for this excursion: one to take in the Mossy Creek studios, and another to visit the potters around Gillsville. Check out the following highlights along the Folk Potters Trail.

Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia: Any exploration of Northeast Georgia folk pottery should begin at this museum, which celebrates the region’s “hand-shaped heritage” through the work of 33 living potters. The building itself mimics the style of a folk potter’s woodshed, with glass walls standing in for the open sides of the region’s rectangular cross-draft kilns. 283 Hwy. 255 N., Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia. 706.878.3300; snca.org. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; $5.

Welchel Meaders: Welchel’s studio is one of six on the Trail belonging to members of the Meaders family. The only son of L.Q. Meaders—whose father founded Meaders Pottery—Welchel admits to being mystified by the popularity of face jugs. “It seems the uglier they are, the more people like them,” says the 85-year-old potter. Ask him to show you his father’s original “kick wheel” from the early 1900s. 1132 Westmoreland Rd., Cleveland, Georgia. 706.865.3805. Visit by appointment.

Clint Alderman Pottery: One of the youngest contemporary folk potters, 35-year-old Alderman learned his craft from members of the Meaders family. He likes to incorporate a utilitarian aspect with a sculptural product. “Each face jug is an expression of the potter’s personality,” he says. 2416 Hwy. 105, Demorest, Georgia. 706.377.2858. Visit by appointment.

Turpin Pottery: “All I do is play in the mud,” says Steve Turpin, who shaped his skills working at Cravens Pottery for 26 years. Now retired, he fashions face jugs with smiling demeanors, like the playful expression on his “winky” pieces. Where does he get inspiration for the faces on his jugs? “I go to a lot of family reunions,” he says, laughing. 2500 Hwy. 441, Homer, Georgia. 706.677.1528; turpinpottery.com. Open  9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Friday through Sunday by appointment.