Extremely Rare COWDEN & WILCOX 1/2 Gal. Stoneware Man-in-the-Moon Pitcher

July 16, 2016 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 376

Price Realized: $9,200.00

($8,000 hammer, plus 15% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 8 years old, and the American ceramics market frequently changes. Additionally, small nuances of color, condition, shape, etc. can mean huge differences in price. If you're interested in having us sell a similar item for you, please contact us here.

Auction Highlight: July 16, 2016 Auction | Central PA Stoneware

July 16, 2016 Auction Catalog

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Exceedingly Rare Half-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Man-in-the-Moon Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA", circa 1865, ovoid pitcher with tooled body and flared collar with semi-squared rim molding, decorated with a brushed design of a human profile surrounded by leaves. Cobalt leaf decoration to spout and cobalt highlights to handle terminals. Impressed with Cowden & Wilcox maker's mark at midsection. Exceptional in decoration, form, and size, this pitcher is the best example of the firm's iconic man-in-the-moon motif we have ever offered. This most-unusual rendering includes a "surprised" face with wide eye and lashes, an open smiling mouth, and foliate brushwork that nearly forms a complete circle around the profile. An outstanding example of Central Pennsylvania stoneware. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, purchased decades ago by the consignor. A tiny filled and colored hole on right side of pitcher, with some minor, unrestored crazing emanating from it. A 1 1/4" flake to interior of spout. A small chip to exterior of spout. A minor rim chip on right side of pitcher. A faint 1 1/2" line from rim on reverse. Some bubbling to heavier-applied areas of cobalt. H 8 1/4".