Taking A Closer Look
Whether he’s singing, talking or surprised, the face of this jug is an easy one to love. With a transparent lead glaze, this Billy Ray Hussey piece would be an endearing and comical addition to any collection. Hussey, who grew up around pottery is no stranger to facial jug-ware. In the 1970s and 1980s he displayed a keen interest and talent for sculpting, and combining that talent with his special glazes mixed with lead, alkaline, and salt, there’s a unique piece in your hands. It’s a trademark Billy Ray piece if it has a pottery applied beard, hair, eyes & eyebrows have yellow glaze; mouth opens through the jug and an incised “Owens/ BH” on the foot.
Billy Ray and his wife, Susan currently operate the Southern Folk Pottery Collector’s Society, an organization that has provided exhibitions of traditional potters, gallery talks by noted scholars, and pottery auctions that are always accompanied by catalogs providing thorough documentation.
