Archive For May, 2009
The question of a potter’s intent as he made a particular piece is a central one in the field of ceramic study. Even on the most straight-forward example, such as a plain, unadorned jar or jug, questions that can often never be answered conclusively rear their heads: What was it made for? Did it have [...]
The chicken pecking corn motif, found primarily on pieces by several New York State and some New England makers, is one of the most recognizable designs in all of American stoneware. We’ve been consigned one of the most interesting examples of stoneware we’ve found decorated with this desirable scene for our July 11th auction. When [...]
An important example of Baltimore, MD, stoneware was recently rediscovered at a small estate auction in Baltimore County. Known to the public only through a fifty year old black-and-white photograph, this stoneware vessel, a mortar made by Peter Perine in 1812, remained in the same unknown collection until it was sold unadvertised in January of [...]
We were all excited to receive the P. CROSS / HARTFORD incised ship jug–a rare example of stoneware that combines a scarce, desirable maker’s mark with a well-rendered, unusual decoration–for our July 11, 2009 auction. The consignment of this piece got me interested in this fairly mysterious potter, and I took an excursion into some [...]
Growing up, I remember reading about Anna pottery in antiques books and was always fascinated by the stuff. A large snake jug I saw in an art magazine particularly made an impression on me. The jug was made of blue-decorated stoneware, something my family had been selling at antique shows for years, and yet the [...]
Stoneware signed with the mark of Washington, DC pottery owner Richard Butt is very sought after, and has been for as long as I can remember. It certainly appeals to collectors of stoneware made in nearby Alexandria, Virginia (once itself a part of the District of Columbia)–but as the most well-known, and some of the [...]
One of our goals as we run Crocker Farm, Inc. has always been to use credible, incisive research–often done in period, primary sources–to help illuminate the objects we sell. Antique American stoneware and redware have, both in the past and now, been saddled with misinformation, loose conjecture passed off as fact, incorrect attributions, and information [...]