Rudolph Christ
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Rudolph Christ | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 February 1750 Lauffen am Neckar, Germany |
| Died | 26 July 1833 (aged 83) Salem, North Carolina U.S. |
| Resting place | God's Acre Cemetery |
Rudolph Christ (28 February 1750 – 26 July 1833) was a German potter. He was a noted figure of the Moravian community in today's Old Salem, North Carolina, where he was master potter between 1789 and 1821.
Christ was born in Lauffen am Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in 1750.[1] He emigrated with his parents, Rudolph Sr. and Anna Wolfer, to Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, around 1753.[2]
Career
By 1766, when he was sixteen years of age, Christ had moved to the American colony of the Province of North Carolina, where he was working as an apprentice for compatriot Gottfried Aust, master potter in Bethabara. It is believed there was a lot of friction between them throughout their careers.[2][3]
Christ moved to Salem, Province of North Carolina, in 1789,[1] after the death of Aust. He remained there until his retirement in 1821.[4] He held several civic roles, including being on the Congregation Council and the Aufseher Collegium.[2]
His press-molded figural bottle has become a notable form of North Carolina Moravian pottery.[2]
In 2016, Christ's kiln in Old Salem was excavated.[5]