COMPLIMENTARY COPY TM
The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 45, NO. 35 FRIDAY AUGUST 29, 2014
A Profile In Pennsylvania German Studies:
Bob And Sally Hughes By Karl Pass
H
igh school ceramics teacher, traditional redware potter and collector Bob Hughes and his wife, Sally Hughes, title their pottery business River Rat Pottery. The couple resides near the Susquehanna River just outside of the rural Lancaster County, Pa., town of Conestoga. “I have always lived along the river,” explained Bob during their recent open house Plain and Fancy show and sale. River Rat Pottery is a traditional pottery operation. Bob produces both plain and fancy material, much of which bears inspirational roots from Pennsylvania German decorative motifs, forms, and styles of potting. A volunteer at the Conestoga Area Historical Society, where Bob has conducted educational demonstrations, he got his start instructing at the Landis Valley Farm Museum in 1991 at the age of 24. “I credit Tom Martin at Landis Valley for giving me challenges early on,” said Bob.
Martin is the long-time hearth cooking instructor at the museum located outside Lancaster, Pa., and run by the Pennsylania Historical Museum Commission (PHMC). Bob taught at the museum at their well-known summer institute and studied the collection, learning about Pennsylvania German redware. A niche market of making functional utilitarian wares such as bundt cake pans, custard cups and pie plates began for the potter during his time at Landis Valley. His work is sought after for its durability and non-lead glaze base by living history professionals who demonstrate open hearth cooking and by people who cook over the fireplace in their own homes. Hughes continues to offer inexpensive plain pots, mugs, funnels, molds and cups for his clientele, but has also expanded into elaborate decorative work such as figural whistles, which is something he has become known for. “Whistles offer me a creative avenue,” said Hughes. He uses a wood-fired kiln and also owns an electric one. “We don’t have to make any compromises we don’t want to,” explained Hughes. “I used to dig my own clay, but now would rather spend time being creative than spending a ton of time
processing material. We do a small, select number of shows a year and they have to have either a historical preservation and/or educational component to them.” Shows they participate in include the Cumberland Valley Pottery Festival at the Ceramic Arts Center of Waynesboro in Waynesboro, Pa.; the Stahl Pottery Festival held in Zionsville, Pa.; the Colonal Market and Fair held at Mount Vernon in Va.; the Fall Harvest Festival at the Conestoga Area Historical Society; and Harvest Days at Landis Valley Farm Museum. Bob’s work has been chosen by “Early American Life” for inclusion in its directory of traditional American crafts for several years. “Sally is really the driving force and pushes to go on road trips to research museum collections,” said Bob. Sally has also been involved in decorating for the past five years. Their recent fifth annual Plain and Fancy open house show and sale was held on July 26. The show is on-site at the couple’s property, and food and beverages are always provided. Several customers came for pieces they need for cooking
Bob and Sally Hughes of Conestoga, Pa., started River Rat Pottery in 1999. Bob’s large “Unite or Die” redware platter was $90.
purposes, while some customers attended to see what new decorative fancy pieces Bob had created. An interior designer bought several chargers for the purpose of hanging on the wall. She said one of her clients is a retirement home, where she will be using Bob’s work to decorate an
entrance hall. A few of Bob’s former students, now in college, came to the show as well, as did family members who helped out throughout the day. For additional information, or to get on a mailing list, visit www.potterybob.com. Photos courtesy of author.
More Photos On Page 2 These redware baskets with applied hearts are made to resemble leather key baskets of the South. This one was $45.
Here is one of Bob’s large ring flasks, with a snake, salamanders and a frog at the base. It was tagged $150.
These miniature plates are especially popular with a niche segment of River Rat Pottery collectors. They were $5 and each one is sgraffito “scratch” decorated.
This large platter with intricate tree design work was marked $90.
Bob made two of these special bird houses for his fifth annual Plain and Fancy open house show. Both sold. This one was marked $325. “It is my version of a purple martin birdhouse,” said Bob. The inspiration came from a creamware example at Colonial Williamsburg.
These slip decorated plates averaged $20 each and are excellent for cooking with.
These molds are $9 and $28 each, depending on size.