Extremely Rare Shenandoah Valley Stoneware Jar w/ Bird Designs, possibly Bell Family, Winchester or Strasburg

Spring 2021 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 354

Price Realized: $720.00

($600 hammer, plus 20% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 3 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.

Spring 2021 Auction Catalog

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Extremely Rare Shenandoah Valley Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Chicken and Flying Bird Decorations, possibly Bell Family, Winchester or Strasburg, VA, circa 1835-1845, small-sized, ovoid jar with flared collar and extruded lug handles, decorated on one side with a brushed design of a standing chicken with comb and wattle and on the reverse with a stylized brushed design of a flying bird. Cobalt highlights to handle terminals. Impressed "1" under one handle, although the vessel's capacity seems closer to three quarts. The form, clay color, and handle construction all closely link this work to Peter Bell and his sons, Samuel and Solomon, during the family's tenure in Winchester or shortly into the sons' Strasburg period. The one gallon stamp on the jar, however, has not been associated with any of the Bell shops. This piece's dense, thick-walled construction suggest it was made by an apprentice or young journeyman potter. Few figural-decorated examples of the stoneware from the Shenandoah Valley have survived, this jar's two-sided brushwork being particularly rare. One handle professionally restored. A few small rim chips. A curved 3" surface line to underside, not visible on interior. H 8".