Very Rare "Lard" and "Butter" Crock, attrib. Howe & Clark, Athens, NY, 1805-13

Spring 2024 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 157

Price Realized: $1,080.00

($900 hammer, plus 20% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: The American ceramics market frequently changes, often dramatically. 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.

Spring 2024 Auction Catalog

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Very Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jar, Inscribed "Lard" and "Butter," attributed to Howe and Clark, Athens, NY, circa 1805-1813, ovoid jar with flared rim and pronounced lug handles, featuring the slip-trailed word, "Lard," on one side and "Butter" on the reverse. Slip-trailed accents to handle terminals. Among the finer examples of surviving stoneware made at the early Athens shop of potter, Nathan Clark, Sr., and his brother-in-law, Thomas Howe. A related jar, inscribed "Butter Pot" and stamped "HOWE & CLARK / ATHENS," resides in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, donated by visionary collector, John Paul Remensnyder. The jar in this auction is significant for its two-sided inscription, suggesting it could be displayed on either side, depending upon whether it held lard or butter. Provenance: Warren F. Hartmann Collection. Full professional restoration to one handle. Small chips around rim. A 2" thin horizontal crack at base, continuing 3 1/4" along underside at jar's edge and running 4" up side of jar from base. Minor chipping to base. H 11 1/4".