Rare 6 Gal. S. JONES POTTERY / NICKLEVILLE, PA Stoneware Jar Dated 1876

October 22, 2016 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 268

Price Realized: $977.50

($850 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.

October 22, 2016 Auction Catalog

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Exceedingly Rare Six-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Centennial Date, Stenciled "S. JONES / POTTERY / NICKLEVILLE, PA", 1876, semi-ovoid jar with tooled shoulder, flattened rim, and applied lug handles, the surface covered in a whitish slip and decorated with the brushed date, "1876", below the stenciled signature "S. JONES / POTTERY / NICKLEVILLE, PA". Shoulder with freehand "6" surrounded by dots. Cobalt highlights to handle terminals. According to Herbert Charles Bell's 1890 book, "History of Venango County, Pennsylvania", Samuel Jones (1820-1892)established a stoneware manufactory in Pleasantville, Venango County, PA in 1850 with a man named Daniel H. Parker. In the 1870 and 1880 federal censuses, he appears in the vicinity of Nickleville as a farmer and a brick maker, respectively. His father, also named Samuel, and brother, Timothy S., were also potters, the latter operating a stoneware manufactory in Akron, OH. This jar is the only signed example of Samuel Jones stoneware we are aware of. Its centennial date and descent in the family of the potter himself indicates it may have been a specially-made object. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which descended in the family of the potter to its current owner. Some light surface wear to right of maker's stenciling. A small chip and nick to one handle. H 15 3/4".