This jug, from around 1860, bears a striking similarity to jugs from the J & E Norton pottery of 1850-1859. The resemblance is in the artwork. This decoration of a pheasant perched on a stump is very similar to the pheasant and peacock on stumps from Bennington. It could be that an artist who appears as an employee on both companies' rosters--Jacob Mertz--was the artist.
