Beautiful large Peaseware sugar bowl with original finish that has pleasantly mottled to look almost as if it is burl. David Mills Pease started the family business of spindle-turned wood containers made of end-grain wood in the Cascade Valley of Ohio somewhere around 1850. The company continued, in the families of Pease and Brown, who were related by marriage and birth, for 125 years. David Pease took an elemental need of the people who settled the Western Reserve of northeastern Ohio to keep stored food clean, dry and secure from animals, and created a graceful and accomplished wood-turned group of containers that are enthusiastically collected and displayed in Americana collections. There are many forms of Peaseware, including urns, footed jars and sewing implements. I seldom find these very large sugar bowls and I’m pleased to present this one.

The bail-handle is iron and secured by staples. The classic finial is a graceful form that in Peaseware language is referred to as “acorn type” although I would have dubbed it a flame finial if I were making up the language! The sugar bowl has a bulbous belly and is quite large at 8” tall x 8” diameter of the bowl. The classic turned foot and the squat shape follow the basic goal of the Pease/Brown families’ to make sure the container stayed upright when full. The tight fitting lid still fits although both the lid and the bowl are slightly out of round. As with all Peaseware, the lid and body were turned out of the same piece of wood so that they have the same grain and fit tightly. This lid and bowl have shrunk together and, thanks to the Pease high standards, they still fit. Look closely at the many photos I’ve included because there is a through-and-through crack that runs down one side of the belly and into the foot where it encircles lower body at the top of the foot. There is a glued repair of the crack around the bottom. The side crack is partially glued and, frankly, I think it is lovely to look at and adds authenticity and charm to this large piece of treen. Everything is quite stable with this lidded bulbous bodied bowl. It is a rarely found size with beautiful worn finish, a real find and displays beautifully. It stands 8" tall x 8" diameter of the belly. Foot has 5 1/2" diameter. I’ve paid more than this for much more commons sizes and shapes of Peaseware.

#5820    $1150

Reference: Kargas, Gene & Linda, “Peaseware - Fruit of the Garden of Eden”, Maine Antique Digest, December, 1996.