Very Rare Signed Baltimore Stoneware Mug Inscribed "I. S. Kapp / 1893"

March 24, 2018 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 35

Price Realized: $1,770.00

($1,500 hammer, plus 18% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 6 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.

March 24, 2018 Auction Catalog

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Very Rare Keg-Form Stoneware Mug with Cobalt Clover Decoration, Inscribed "S.p. the 17 / 1893 / I.S. Kapp", Israel Kapp, Baltimore, MD, 1893, large-sized, keg-form mug with tooled banding and applied faux stopper at center, the surface profusely-decorated with brushed clover blossoms. Cobalt highlights to incised banding, applied clay stopper, and handle terminals. Underside incised with the date and signature, "S.p. the 17 / 1893 / I.S. Kapp". This signature refers to West Baltimore potter, Israel Kapp, active at the Perine Pottery during the fourth quarter of the 19th century. A redware bust of a man sold by Crocker Farm, Inc. in 2011, bearing the inscribed name and date, "B. KAPP / 76", descended in the Perine family and is also believed to be by Israel Kapp's hand. This mug, rare in its form alone, is the only Baltimore example we have seen with a signature by its maker. It's large size, profuse decoration, and unusual applied stopper add to decorative appeal to an already important object. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in New England. Missing handle. A sealed 5" crack from rim, reinforced with white paint on the interior. Three hairlines from rim, measuring 3 1/2", 2 1/4", and 1 1/2". H 7 3/4".