Outstanding and Important Six-Gallon Stoneware Cooler with Profuse Cobalt Tulip Decoration, attributed to David Parr, Sr., Baltimore, MD, circa 1825-1832, highly ovoid cooler with rounded foot, tooled shoulder, tall vertical collar, and applied open handles. Front decorated with an exuberant brushed flowering plant design, extending upward and outward from a squared bung hole at the base. The reverse is decorated with a similar, elaborate floral design. Both designs extend around the sides of the cooler and nearly touch. The bung hole and handle terminals are additionally brushed with heavy cobalt highlights. Collar incised "6" for six gallons. David Parr, Sr., was a prolific potter, producing a large number of well-decorated pieces throughout his career. Among the hundreds of pieces of Parr stoneware in existence, this cooler is a true masterpiece, possibly the finest example of his work known. Provenance: Recently discovered in Richmond, VA and never offered for public sale. Exceptional, as-made condition with a loss to underside of squared bung hole, visible when cooler is turned over. H 16".
