Saleratus Jar

Missing its cover, this ovoid stoneware jar has an unusual reddish hue due to the soil composition near Bladensburg, Maryland. The area's foundation was characterized by red sandstone, which was reinforced by the exposed red soil in nearby Washington, D.C. Mrs. Hannah Craig, for whom this vessel was made, would have used it for the storage of saleratus, a rising agent used to make buckwheat cakes, muffins, doughnuts, and other baked goods.