Q: I own a ceramic pot that has a lid and an insert with a hole in the middle. The bottom of the pot is marked "Marx & Gutherz, Carlsbad" and "1813/69." Can you tell us what it was used for? We have guessed everything from a chamber pot (we're pretty sure it isn’t that) to a butter churn. Also, can you tell me when it was made and its value?
A: You have a "slop bucket" made in the late 19th century by Marx & Gutherz, a company founded in about 1876 by Maximilian Marx and Oscar Gutherz in Altrohlau, Bavaria (now Stara Role, Czech Republic). It was in business under that name until about 1889. The number on your pottery may be a decorator's number or a stock number. The contents of a chamber pot or wash basin were emptied into the bucket and carried outside. The splash bowl–the piece with the hole in the middle–kept the liquid from splashing out of the bucket. Your slop bucket originally had a woven wicker or rattan bail handle attached to the two lugs on the sides. It was used when carrying the bucket outside. Value: $100 to $150.
