Salt Pig Obsession .... these are made by Benhar pottery.

I don't seem to be able to stop myself buying salt pigs. Have had the big one for years and use it as you can see. Was wondering what these salt pigs may be. Brown, obvious mold lines and flat bottomed much like Orzel and Royal Oak. Cheers, Mike
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LOL, you're not the only one with a "thing" for salt pigs, though I do prefer the hand potted variety! I have actual 'pig' salt pigs, a pumpkin salt pig and even an aubergine shaped one as well as a number of variations on more conventional salt pig shapes.

I must get them all together at some point for a photoshoot!

Hi there these are most defiantly Benhar pottery salt pigs, I collect these too.
Benhar /Mcskimmings pottery  in Benhar Clutha. I used to hate that kind of glaze but now it's really grown on me.





  

Thanks so much for that Isobela. It's great to get those identified

Yes thanks for that ID. I didn't appreciate these when I first got the large salt pig but now I have really grown to like them. I have a few more pieces that might be Benhar and if you could offer an opinion when I put them up here it would be much appreciated. Cheers, Mike

I have a number of items that have the same glaze as my salt pigs. Up close the glaze and the mud brown body colour showing on the bottom is identical on these items below.
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As well I posted  photo of a Temuka Fire Brigade tankard that I thought would have to have been made in the South. It has a M S in a circle mark. IDed as Stephen McCarthy.
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Lastly I have a lidded container that looks very much like the one in the McSkimmings stand photograph on page 48 of Gail Henry's book(1999) and then in close up on page 50 (top photo, bottom shelf in the middle). The glaze is very similar to the jug with the white band on page 5 of the colour insert.
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I think the Temuka Volunteer Fire Brigade mug was made by Stephen McCarthy!
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Thanks very much,that is the same mark...one mystery solved. Cheers, Mike

Ummm Stephen McCarthy must be an excellent modeller/mould maker as well as a fantastic studio potter as that mug has been slip cast.  That is rather unusual to find.

Yes I thought it may have been a McSkimming mark from Benhar. But apart from being a printed version the marks are identical so I guess that is what it is.

Ev is it too soon to ask for a Benhar gallery?  

No of course it isn't too soon. If that is what the members want, then so be it
It certainly gives a good idea of the style of a pottery when you see pieces all laid out in a Gallery. A bit late today, but will get it up when I can.

Sweet its nice to not have the Gallery storage space limits we use to have!   

Hey Jeremy the 3 Jars in Hospice are like the Tea canister(left) above they do look like Parker pottery.. but the lids are heavy..like Benhar.
I'm looking forward to when we have really comprehensive galleries of all NZ pottery & identifying will be so much easier!

Kat I have a couple of these, plus (ERK) a couple of recently purchased taller ones with the same half-glazed effect. I am not sure who made them, so haven't yet put them on the site, but I am pretty certain they are not Parker, they look too clunky to be honest. Until recently I wondered if this style was a very small operator, but there does seem to be a reasonable amount of it around. I have seen it in Whangarei, Kerikeri and Orewa.

There is lots of it from Wanganui to Wellington as well. Those taller ones are very much in evidence. All the lids I have seen are poorly fitting and heavy. Nothing like the crispness of the Parker items I have. Clay colour and glaze identical to what is found on the Benhar salt pigs tho.

Kat, I know the ones. Mike has called them Benhar and I guess he knows. Heavier all over, and bigger writing than the Parker stuff. It's great to know what they are even if I don't like them though as I have seen them knocking around from back when I started regular op shopping, getting on for 6 months ago. Such a lot has been resolved in that time.

Nah....I dont really know what they are...just guessing. Very ugly I know and I have only ever acquired two because of this. The ill-fitting lids annoy me the most. This version solves that problem. Quite a bit bigger than the tea container.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This small bowl has the same blotchy brown glaze that the old lidded pot has (that I suspect is early Benhar) and glimpses can be seen in the photos of McSkimmings stands.
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Had trouble getting the colour accurate!

I've set up the Benhar Gallery, but need confirmation for the Coffee and Tea caddies. Also what is that little pot beside the tea caddy, it needs a name?

Yes it is looking very good already.
That container is 100 mm high and 82 mm across at the base, narrowing to 64 mm across the top. It looks as if it should have a cork. What to call it.... I would say it was a small storage container but you probably have a wider range of appropriate terms than me. It has the same roughish foot ring, the same clay colour and glaze colour that the lidded Benhar jar has. If you are happy that is Benhar then this would have to be as well. Do you know if the lidded crock with the same top as the jar is marked. Cheers

Thanks and sorry I'm not sure which one you mean Mike.
There is one lidded crock, but it's not the same shape as the jar.

Sorry I wasn't very clear. I just meant that the two lids looked as if they were the same. Flat edge then the rise and knob. The same form as the very old Benhar lidded container I have as well. I see you have put the tea and coffee caddy in the gallery as well. Are attributing these by glaze or style? I thought they may have been when you see them next to marked items. Cheers

Actually I have no ideas if the caddies are Benhar or not, but they can go there until proven otherwise.

Mike, your tea container is from the Crofter Ware range
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this is the same as yours, but without the lid
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and the stamp