Dog Whistle

Born in Kircheheim-am-Neckar, Germany, Christian Schutter was a second-generation potter from Wittenberg who arrived in America by 1852 and established a pottery at Sinking Spring in Spring Township, Berks County, an area which boasted an abundance of good sources of clay for making red earthenware pottery. 

Unlike many other Berks County potters, he was not succeeded in his business by family members or apprentices, perhaps because he had established his pottery when the production of red earthenware was at its peak.  He produced a great variety of both utilitarian and whimsical forms, often decorated with a dog figure.  His wares include pie dishes and crocks made for the Berks County Almshouse, bowls, and banks with applied decoration. 

This example is a whistle which could have been intended as a gift for a child, part of a dowry, or as a whimsy.  These were extremely popular and prized items among the Pennsylvania Germans.  A whistle in the form of a figure could also be a functional item known as a Pie Vogelpeif or pie whistle.  Positioned on the top crust of an unbaked pie, the whistle channeled escaping steam as the pie baked, alerting the cook when the baking was complete.