Rare Copper-Glazed Redware Fish Bottle, Salem, NC origin, circa 1801-1829

Summer 2020 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 12

Price Realized: $19,200.00

($16,000 hammer, plus 20% buyer's premium)

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Auction Highlight: Summer 2020 Auction | Southern Pottery | Redware

Summer 2020 Auction Catalog

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Rare Copper-Glazed Redware Fish Bottle, Salem, NC origin, circa 1801-1829, diminutive flask molded in the form of a detailed fish with large eyes, fins, and elaborate scales, the animal's open mouth forming the vessel's spout. Surface covered in a brilliant green lead-and-copper glaze. Outstanding size and excellent color. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, from a long-term Florida collection. Literature: In her Ceramics in America 2009 article, "Tradition and Adaptation in Moravian Press-Molded Earthenware," Johanna Brown states that fish bottles were produced in Salem in four sizes. This bottle is the second smallest size. A chip to dorsal fin. A minor chip to spout. Other minor wear. L 5".