08/08/2026
A few months ago Main Street Gas City wrote a really great Sunday Slowdown post about the history of Gas City Pottery which inspired me to take a closer look at the Gas City Pottery we have here at the museum. While we do have an excellent collection of GC Pottery here, I was particularly intrigued by this "Monkey Jug" because of its cute pattern and its unique design.
Some believe that the name comes from a Southern regional term called "monkeyed," which described the intense, dehydrating, and sweltering effect of summer heat while others believe the name stems from the habit of hanging the jugs from tree limbs in and around fields to keep them accessible during working hours.
The way these jugs worked is that the outer surface was left unglazed so that tiny amounts of the water inside would seep through to the outside and evaporate, keeping the water cool in a time before modern refrigeration. This made them excellent vessels for carrying drinking water out into fields as well as for transporting provisions such as water or whiskey by merchants, though merchants used much larger jugs that held multiple gallons.
Some variations of the design existed, many monkey jugs featured 2 separate spouts/openings, 1 for pouring out of and 1 to vent the jug so that it would be easy to drink from the jug without having to put your mouth directly on it. You'll notice that this jug only has one spout but does have a wide mouth opening with a lid at the top. The top is also designed in such a way that a carrying strap or rope could be wrapped around the top of the jug to make carrying easier.
You might also notice (though it might be better observed by visiting the museum in person) that this jug is in fact glazed which is a sharp deviation from the traditional design. Eventually, with the shift from earthenware pottery to kiln-fired stoneware , the term "monkey jug" had more to do with the actual shape of the jug vs the traditional cooling process.
And lastly, notice how this jug has this pretty blue pattern drawn on it? That is interesting for 2 reasons, firstly, it's a fabulous representation of artisinal craftsmanship, as these types of designs were hand drawn onto the pottery pieces, no 2 pieces are exactly alike.Also the blue coloring is actually cobalt. Cobalt was a very common choice for pottery as it was one of the few pigments that could withstand the high heat of the kiln. This piece is such a great example of the shift from a highly functional tool being transitioned to a decorative piece that would be suitable to give as a gift and also a great example of early American pottery making methods!
I highly recommend stopping by the museum sometime to take a closer look for yourself!
