When I Set out to find a collaborator to make bartmanns as affordable as possible without compromising on authenticity, I reaced out to Bill Moon after seeing some of his pottery via Etsy and reading about his methods. Bill’s rustic pieces were in a style that was nearly passible for the 17th century- and this was just the kind of stuff he was making. When I reached out to him I initially was looking for someone who could do a large scale commission of salt-glazed and wood fired works, and after contacting severl other traditional potters, I was about ready to give up- but Bill was becoming very interested in what I was looking for.
As long as we could get a look and texture that matched closely to orginial pieces, salt-glazing was not necessarily a full requiremet- especially considering how much it may add to the price- it is very hard on kilns requirieng the replacement of equipment, and is difficult to execute to boot. So Bill took on the project, and we had many conversations about specifications, colors, consistancy, texture, and of course keeping an affordable price point.
After a few months and the intial firings, we knew where we needed to be and how to get there. The first production small batch was a success, and we continue to tweak and improve, working towards addtional autnetic colors and quality that we can offer for historic interpreters and sites!
Bill’s attention to detail and quality is above and beyond what this project needed to be successful, and combined with his skill and knowledge of this genre of pottery, this match was a recipe for perfection.
I couldn’t be more pleased with where we are and where we’re headed, and look forward to delivering more pieces soon!
-Hunter Willis
