Very Rare Freehand-Decorated James Hamilton / Beaver, PA Stoneware Jar, 1849

Summer 2021 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 332

Price Realized: $1,920.00

($1,600 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.

Summer 2021 Auction Catalog

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Very Rare Five-Gallon Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jar, Inscribed "OH Look" and "1849 / Hamilton," James Hamilton, Beaver, PA, 1849, ovoid jar with combed incising the midsection, tooled shoulder, flattened rim, and massive extruded handles. Shoulder decorated with the cobalt inscription, "OH Look" flanking a large script "5." Midsection decorated with the date and maker's name, "1849 / HAMILTON," within a dashed border, underscored by a looping vine motif. Cobalt highlights to handle terminals. This newly-discovered work was made by one of Western Pennsylvania's most famous potters, shortly before he traveled south to establish his long-standing Greensboro operation. Freehand signatures are rarely-seen in Western Pennsylvania stoneware and the humorous slogan at the shoulder adds greatly to this pot's appeal, suggesting a sense of pride in the potter's creation. Provenance: Recently surfaced in Western Pennsylvania. A thin 9 1/2" diagonal crack extending from shoulder to midsection on front. A small chip and minor nick to shoulder molding on front. Two shallow, adjacent chips to underside at edge, measuring a total of 1 1/4". H 16".