Old Butter Churn Appraisal

Antique Stoneware Butter Churn

An antique salt-glazed stoneware butter churn featuring a classic cylindrical, slightly ovoid body with a flared rim. The churn is constructed from heavy ceramic with a cream-white to light-beige semi-glossy finish, characteristic of late 19th to early 20th-century American farmhouse pottery. It includes an original recessed lid with a central hole to accommodate the dash. A wooden dasher stick is visible extending through the lid, likely connected to a flat, cross-shaped paddle internally. The exterior surface exhibits subtle horizontal throwing rings from the potter's wheel and faint iron spots or 'speckling' inherent to the clay and firing process. The condition appears fair to good for its age, showing minor chips along the inner rim of the lid and light surface wear. No maker's mark is immediately visible on the front, suggesting it may be on the base or was part of a common regional production. The piece exemplifies rustic functional craftsmanship and is shown alongside other period items like a washboard and kerosene lantern.