This ironstone mug fragment was recovered from a stream in Middletown, New Jersey. The stream is adjacent to the historic Middletown Village, which is home to many homes dating to the early 18th century, in addition to one bicentennial house situated about a quarter mile upstream. Ironstone, which was primarily produced from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century, was often decorated with molded designs such as the paneled foliage motif seen in this piece. Foliage motifs were most popular in the 1850s and 1860s.
With a background in botany, the finder of this fragment sees a resemblance between the foliage depicted on this mug and the native plant Uvularia (or Merrybells), which can be seen in Tatum County Park! What do you think? Is it possible that this mug was used by a member of one of the nearby households in the 19th century?
📸: Kyle Clayton