Extremely Rare F. STETZENMEYER / ROCHESTER, N.Y. Stoneware Jug w/ Cat Decoration

Summer 2022 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 73

Summer 2022 Auction Catalog

Exceedingly Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Cat and Tree Decoration, Stamped "F. STETZENMEYER & CO. / ROCHESTER, N.Y.," circa 1855, ovoid jug tapered spout, decorated with a slip-trailed design of a spotted cat reclining under a tree atop a swag-decorated ground Slip-trailed "2" above. Cobalt highlights to maker's mark. Relatively few figural designs are known from Frederick Stetzenmeyer's pottery, the majority of which are birds. Even fewer mammal designs are known. This jug is the only Stetzenmeyer piece decorated with a reclining cat that we have seen. Combining one of the state's most prized makers with an extremely rare subject for the design, this work ranks among the most outstanding examples of Rochester stoneware that we have offered in years. Long, tight lines around base. A ping with short lines emanating from it on front. A minor in-the-firing contact mark to spout. A tiny base nick. H 14 1/2".