A 19th-Century Patriotic Canadian Redware Pitcher from the Birthplace of Confederation

This paper presents and interprets compositional data for a nineteenth-century red-firing earthenware (i.e., redware) pitcher emblazoned in relief with the phrase “Our Canada.” Although archetypical Canadian symbols such as the maple leaf and beaver are common on historical ceramics and glass, labelling of historical wares with such a patriotic—even defiant—banner as “Our Canada” is virtually unknown. The “Our Canada Pitcher” (henceforth “OCP”) might have been inspired by Confederation itself, or some later (post-1867) event linked to the nationhood of this young country. The pitcher is unsigned by its manufacturer and is undated. Knowledge of where and approximately when the pitcher was manufactured places important constraints on why it was made and the significance of its message. We make the tacit assumption that the OCP is a domestic product but cannot from the outset exclude the possibility that it was imported from a British or American source.