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 10 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".