Antique HAND THROWN HENDERSON PIG FOOT WARMER Stoneware Dorchester Pottery ORIGINAL Stopper Chain

The slang term for it is:  a "Porcelain Pig".  It's an OLD Henderson Foot Warmer once made by Dorchester Pottery Works in Boston, Mass.    The patent date on this one is stamped into the metal outside of the stopper "PAT. NOV. 5, 1912".  It still has its' original chain that is COMPLETELY intact.  The only (very minor) flaw I can find is a hairline crack on the very top to the side.  It does NOT go all the way through and it is NOT a repair.  It just looks like a stress hairline crack.   And considering the age and what this was intended for I'd say it's in remarkable condition.    

AND unlike MANY of these that have survived........THIS ONE still has its' ORIGINAL chain that connects to the cap so that you don't misplace it!     They would fill them with really hot water and then put the cap on it and the porcelain on the outside would serve to help keep the heat in the footwarmer.    A fireplace mantel is a perfect place to display one of these since they were so often heated on the fireplace in their heyday.  These Henderson "pigs" are gettin almost IMPOSSIBLE to find anymore.  The ONLY reason I'm selling THIS one is because I have one of my own sitting on my mantle at this very moment.

Measures 11 1/4" long/tall, 6 1/2" wide & 5 1/4" deep.    It's HEAVY too AT just over FIVE Pounds!

 A little history:  Dorchester Pottery Works was founded in 1895 by George Henderson.  They produced both commercial And industrial stoneware for many years. Henderson came from New Haven, Connecticut, where he had been a partner in the S.L. Pewtress Pottery since 1884.     Henderson's popular foot warmer was known as a "porcelain pig."    And the process he used to Make these was fascinating!    In 1914, he built an enormous beehive kiln 28-feet in diameter of his own design made of unmortared bricks.   When it was carefully stacked with two or three freight car loads of unfired pottery , the opening was sealed and the kiln was slowly heated with 15 tons of coal and four cords of wood to a temperature of 2500- 3000 degrees Farenheit. After days of cooling, the door would be opened, brick by brick, and the fired pieces removed. The entire process took about one week to complete!   

These pigs were SUPER popular in their hayday (the very early 1900's).  They started to die down around the 1920's as other innovations became available.    Unfortunately, many of them never survived the years & just ended up in the trash heap of time.   And the prices on those that HAVE are going up with each passing year.    I've been collecting for over 25 years.  This is the third one I've found.  I already have one in my collection.  If YOU'D like one for yours......here you go!   I've included SEVERAL high-resolution pictures below for your inspection.

Antique HENDERSON PIG FOOT WARMER Stoneware Dorchester

Antique HENDERSON PIG FOOT WARMER Stoneware Dorchester