Very Rare and Important Small-Sized Stoneware Keg w/ Incised Owl and Fish Decoration, Albany, NY, c1810-15

Summer 2021 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 72

Price Realized: $9,600.00

($8,000 hammer, plus 20% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: The American ceramics market frequently changes, often dramatically. Additionally, small nuances of color, condition, shape, etc. can mean huge differences in price. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us for a Current, Accurate assessment of your items.

Auction Highlight: Summer 2021 Auction | Incised Stoneware | NY State Stoneware

Summer 2021 Auction Catalog

◀︎ Back to Catalog

▶ Login

Very Rare and Important Diminutive Stoneware Rundlet with Incised Owl and Fish Decorations, Albany, NY origin, possibly Paul Cushman Pottery, circa 1810-1815, barrel form with raised banding and octagonal bunghole at center, decorated with incised and cobalt-highlighted designs of a raised-wing owl perched on a stylized branch and a large fish. Both designs are wonderfully-rendered with strong folk art appeal, and include a head-on stare with pointed "ears" on the owl and checkerboard scaling to the fish. Of particular note is the style of the incising of the owls' face, which is closely-related to animal faces seen on two iconic examples of signed Cushman stoneware: the cat churning butter depicted on a churn and the owl on a jug-form cooler. Both pieces are standouts at the Albany Institute of History and Art in Albany, New York. Further suggesting a Cushman-period Albany origin is the color of the rundlet and crudely-applied cobalt brushwork. This work ranks among the most outstanding examples of small-sized New York State stoneware that we have offered in recent years, featuring exceptional form and two excellent incised figural designs. Loss to bunghole. A few other minor chips. H 4 1/2".