Mineral Point Pottery
Bernard Klais operated an earthenware pottery between 1858 and 1880 in Mineral Point Wisconsin. His wares are somehat distinctive. The handles are mostly attached at the ends only - they are free standing. ALthough his pottery was ofter made with and orange glaze, a common glaze is very dark, almost black. Capacity marks are stamped with hand-carved wood stamps or hand-incised. The clay body is always red. Fortunately, sherds were recovered from the pottery site which helps us identify the colors and forms that Klais produced.
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Klais' most noted characteristic was handles attached at the ends only, leaving 1/8-to-1/4-inch distance from the handle to the side of the vessel (another characteristic of pottery from the Cologne area) as opposed to continuous ear handles found on most other Wisconsin pottery. There is a scratched "5" near the right handle. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database object 71-92. This piece is the the collection of the Kenosha museum.
Mineral Point earthenware cheese curd strainer with holes pierced in the wet clay. Lead glaze was applied to the interior but much of it leaked through holes and coated part of the exterior. Below it are sherds recovered from the Klais waster dump.
Mineral Point pitcher with pouring spout, dark glaze on the exterior and a red/tan glaze inside.
Cylindrical earthenware flowerpot with slanted sides. Exterior glazed yellow with brown marks; interior unglazed.
5"H x 5 ½" diam. Photo from the Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. From the Pendarvis collection.https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/2176/rec/21 object 1981.402.434
wheel-thrown cake mold or bundt pan with cone-shaped central feature to form hollow core to cake
Cylindrical earthenware jar. Thick lead-based glaze tinted black with manganese. Unglazed lip. The thick, slightly undercut "tie-down" rim indicates that this food-storage jar was not made with a lid, but was instead designed to be covered with a cloth and secured with a string. Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. Object 1981.401.484 https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/331/rec/18
Slightly ovoid earthenware chamber pot with flat rim. Handle missing. Lead-based glaze tinted black with manganese on exterior; large areas of glaze loss. Clear lead glaze on interior. Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. Object 73-101 https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/1268/rec/7
Earthenware urn or jar with black glaze and free standing strap handles attributed to Klais.
Cylindrical earthenware jar with slightly bulging walls and rolled rim. Interior and exterior coated with lead glaze tinted black with manganese. As is characteristic of this potter's work, the handles are attached at only two points (open loop lug handles), rather than flush with the vessel. Impressed two-gallon capacity mark near each handle. Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. Object 73-102. From the collection of the
Kenosha Public Museum. https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/1143/rec/20
Earthenware urn or jar with a dark glaze and no handles. Attributed to the Mineral Point Pottery.
Mineral Point unglazed flowerpot with ruffled rim and stamped "1 1/2" gallon capacity.
Earthenware food or preserve jar with a dark glaze attributed to the Mineral Point Pottery.
Footed earthenware milk pan with almost black glaze. From the collection of the Kenosha Museum.
Earthenware bowl with black glaze, loop handles and old painted decoration of flowers over a gold background attributed to Klais. Missing cover. Black glaze inside and upper exterior, lower exterior not dipped in glaze
Mineral Point earthenware roofing tiles formerly found on
the Klais home
T-shaped ridge tile used to close roof peak of clay tile roofs
at Klais pottery site
S-shaped roof tile or pantile formerly found on the Klsid pottery
building
Unglazed earthenware flowerpot with rims flattened and formed into waves (known as a scalloped or "pie crust" edge)". Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/318/rec/16 Object 1981-401-491
Unglazed earthenware flowerpot with rims flattened and formed into waves (known as a scalloped or "pie crust" edge)" This one features a band of ornament impressed with a coggle wheel. Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database. https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wda/id/319/rec/16
Unglazed Mineral Point hanging flowerpot with ruffled rim and four holes made when the clay was wet for a chain for hanging the pot.
Unglazed earthenware flower pot saucer or under plate with frilled edges attributed to the Klais Pottery.
These Mineral Point hanging flowerpot sherds were recovered from the Mineral Point pottery site reminds us that potters made diverse form and colors, not just stereotypical production pieces.
Sherds from a decorated Mineral Point piece of unknown size and form. Decorated Klais earthenware is virtually unknown but these sherds prove that he did make some.
Few Midwestern potters made handles that are attached at the ends with a thumbpress at the attachment. This feature on virtually all of his smaller handled pieces make them easy to identify.
Mineral Point rims with scratched capacities. One is a "2" and the other a "21" which is a large size for earthenware.
Klais numeral 4 capacity with fragment of attached handle found at the pottery site. It appears that the capacity was stamped using a crudely carved wooden stamp.
Klais numeral 5 capacity with fragment of attached handle found at the pottery site. It appears that the capacity is a crudely carved stamp.
Klais numeral 4 adjacent to typical handle, double incised ring
on this vessel
Klais roof tiles fused together in overheated kiln
Klais jar rim, ovoid shape, dark almost black glaze.
Klais jar cover shards from waster dump.
Jug tops and handles found at the Mineral Point Pottery site.
Klais hanging basket or flower pot with matching shards from his waster dump.
Fragment of an earthenware bean pot with most of the glaze missing possibly due to excessive heat. It includes the full handle and part of the rim. It was found at the Klais pottery site.
Earthenware shard from the Mineral Point Pottery with a black glaze over a deep red clay body. It appears to be a bowl.
Mineral Point Pottery shard found at the pottery site. The glaze is a mottled deep brown color. It appears to be part of a jar or pitcher, very thin in cross-section suggesting better quality tableware
Knob from some sort of cover with a vent hold. Found at the pottery site.
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