[H]15.4cm __[L] __[W] __[Th] __[Diam]5.7cm (Mouth); 7.0cm (Base)
A complete blacking bottle made from coarse grey stoneware. The bottle is cylindrical and has sloped down shoulders that connect to a circular shaped neck, which widens moving upwards towards the rim. The rim is slightly flared, and the mouth opening is wide. The interior walls are unglazed, and appear ridged with small bump imperfections.
The exterior surface has a salt glaze and appears a reddish brown colour, with some areas darker than others. Impressed on the body, near the base, is "BLACKING // BOTTLE", which has a large chip in the surface over the top of the first word. The exterior surface appears to have small bumped imperfections, pitting throughout, and some spots of residue or staining. The base has a rough texture, appears lighter in colour than the body, and is slightly concave.
Blacking bottles, or pots, were storage vessels for a liquid or paste blackening substance, which can be considered a precursor to modern day shoe polish. This particular bottle is made from coarse grey stoneware, a sub-category of one of the three primary types of ceramics: stoneware, earthenware, and porcelain. Notable characteristics that differentiate stoneware are its durability, lack of porosity, and production in relatively high temperatures. Stoneware vessels are often salt-glazed, stamped, or decorated, but are also remarked for their ability to retain liquids without having been glazed. Its properties make it a popular material for kitchenware, like jars, crocks, or bakeware, and for long-term storage prior to the invention of refrigerators. The presence of stoneware vessels in Canada was initially fueled by English and American imports, but Canadian stoneware production first began in Ontario and Quebec around the middle of the nineteenth century. Pottery production declined into the twentieth century as cheaper, mass-produced glass vessels held greater appeal.
