Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Pottery Antique American Folk Art Sculpture by Jim Linderman: November 2016

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Pottery Folk Art Figure Small Head of a Man End of Day

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Pottery Folk Art Figure Small Head of a Man Collection Jim Linderman

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe (of related interest) Antique Folk Art Brick incised with figural form

Sewer Tile clay and brick makers were two different things, but there is an active community collecting antique bricks. When bricks are incised with figures such as this little man (the boss?) both forms exhibit the "end of day" whimsical esthetic.

Antique Brick with Incised Man Collection Jim Linderman

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Folk Art Sculpture Baby on the Pot Signed MACK

Well, does this piece depict Mack, or was Mack the maker? Either way, signed sewer pipe folk art is the most desirable, and this boy on a pot has a prominent signature on the bowl.
Collection Jim Linderman

Sewer Tile Pottery Folk Art sculpture Kangaroo End of the Day Folk Art

Sewer Pipe Folk Art sculpture of a Kangaroo. An unusual form certainly, but the mostly anonymous fellow who worked the clay had imagination.

Sewer Tile Folk Art Pottery Kangaroo Collection Jim Linderman

A Folk Art Pottery Sewer Tile Study Piece Presentation Box or Whimsy Antique Sewer Pipe Clay

A sewer tile study piece and small mystery. Described as a "presentation box" and if so, a highly personal item. It is sweet to consider a hard-working sewer tile worker filling this with gifts for a betrothed, perhaps even containing a ring.

On the other hand, could this be a doorstop? The common lion forms have long been considered doorstops. This piece has the weight which would work…and a handle to lift it out of the way. The piece measures six inches long, 3 inches wide and 7 inches tall, with handle.

The piece is clearly hollow and appears to have been made as a box. The two portions do have a rather elegant and modern curve where they meet. It also has decorative "feet" which consist of 5 circular sculpted forms. The handle is obviously broken (with several repairs.) Might it be possible the piece broke through a fall? Did the same incident which broke the handle create the two halves in such a unusual curved form?

Close inspection shows glaze having seeped into the inside edges where the pieces meet. I believe this WAS made as a box for that reason. It is signed twice. Once inside the cover "WHIT" and inside the lower piece the same. Whit is a name, though not the most common. This also supports the box with handle theory. Still, one would also think a presentation box would be inscribed with incision and decorative work. A simple and common matter for an "end of day" sculptor.

Finally, this might just be an experiment! A whimsical attempt at a utilitarian object.

The piece could be restored to make the handle far less obviously broken, but I love it exactly as it is. When a piece is restored, all I see when I look at it from then on is the repair!

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Antique Sewer Time Sewer Pipe Pottery Presentation Box late 19th / Early 20th century. Collection Jim Linderman

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Folk Art Pottery Bust of a Man with a Moustache. Redware Sculpture

Sewer Pipe (?) Folk Art Clay Pottery Bust of a Man with a Moustache. Redware Sculpture. Likely Ohio origin? Circa 1900. Collection Jim Linderman

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe The Boss Leaves Early

The boss strolls out leaving his workers behind. Original Vintage Photographs
Collection Jim Linderman

Large Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Folk Art Sculpture Man with Sideburns Pottery

Large Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Folk Art Sculpture Man with a Smile and Sideburns Pottery. Stable "cracks" came about as this solid chunk of clay was fired. Collection Jim Linderman

East Ohio Sewer Pipe Company in Irondale, Ohio RPPC

An epic real photo postcard of the East Ohio Sewer Pipe Company in Irondale, Ohio. Courtesy Curley's Antiques.

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Clay Pottery Folk Art Head of a Man Sculpture

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe Clay Pottery Folk Art Head of a Man. Likely Midwest / Ohio region.
Collection Jim Linderman

Sewer Tile Sewer Pipe end of day Match Holder Uhrichsville Ohio and RPPC

Match Holder with striker? Tree bark surface with monolith (match striker?)
Circa 1920 Collection Jim Linderman

A similar piece shown in Illustrated Handbook of Ohio Sewer Pipe Folk Art (1973) by Jack Adamson. His book is the most comprehensive source for Sewer Pipe sculpture.

J. W. Moore was in charge of the dig apparently. Diamond Clay was the name of the company, and related to American Sewer Pipe Company. Several dozen plants operated in the area. Mr. Moore was also involved with the Triangle Clay Company.

Here, a Real Photo Postcard shows clay miners of the area (organized into the Federal Union of Clay Miners Chapter 9985 marching on Labor Day Collection Jim Linderman