Exceptional Stoneware Jar with Incised Bird and Floral Decorations, Albany, NY area, early 19th century, ovoid jar with footed base, tooled shoulder, flaring collar, and applied lug handles, decorated with a large incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a bird perched on a stylized leaf. Reverse with incised and cobalt-highlighted daisy motif, featuring cobalt carefully omitted at the center and midsection of flower. Brushed cobalt highlights to handle terminals. Bird motifs of the style seen on this jar are frequently attributed to potter, George Lent, based on signed examples of his work during his tenure in Troy, New York during the 1820s. This jar is among the finest of its type that we have seen, featuring an unusually large rendering of the bird motif, measuring roughly 8 1/4" tall including the leaf below. Provenance: Warren F. Hartmann Collection. Primarily in-the-firing flaws. Rim is misshapen with a 4 1/2" in-the-firing fissure from rim on interior, visible as a thin, 5" lightly-stained crack from rim on reverse. An in-the-firing contact mark to floral decoration on reverse. A 2 1/4" x 7/8" in-the-firing loss to bottom edge on reverse, which is lightly glazed over. Several small base chips. In-the-firing kiln residue to foot. H 13".
