Extremely Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "JOHN YOUNG & CO. / HARRISBURG, PA," circa 1856-1858, ovoid-bellied pitcher with tall collar, pronounced rim molding, and tooled accents throughout, decorated with a brushed and slip-trailed design of a flowering plant bearing two different styles of blossoms. Cobalt highlight to maker's mark. Brushed cobalt highlight to lower handle terminal. The pitcher's slip-trailed decoration draws inspiration from the New York potting tradition and is attributed to Shem Thomas, a potter trained by Thompson Harrington of Lyons, NY, who partnered with Young at Harrisburg's Filbert Street Pottery, circa 1856-1858. The pitcher form is exceptionally rare by this maker and this work is the first signed example that we have ever offered. Of particular note is its extraordinary color, both of the clay and the cobalt slip. Provenance: A recently-discovered example. Very nice condition. A faint 2" Y-shaped line on underside, becoming a 5" crack on right side of pitcher's front, and a 3/4" base chip, probably in-the-firing. H 10 3/4".
