Very Rare ADAMS CENTER, NY Advertising Crock by S. Hart (Fulton) w/ Double-Bird Decoration and Incised Name

Summer 2023 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 12

Price Realized: $2,280.00

($1,900 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. If you're interested in having us sell a similar item for you, please contact us here.

Summer 2023 Auction Catalog

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Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Advertising Churn with Cobalt Double Bird Decoration and Incised Name, attributed to S. Hart, Fulton, NY., circa 1860, ovoid churn with tooled shoulder, applied handles, and semi-rounded rim, decorated with a slip-trailed design of crossed birds with dotted bodies, beside a script "2" with flourish. Impressed with the cobalt-highlighted advertising, "DAVIS & MAIN . / DEALERS IN DRY GOODS / GROCERIES CLOTHIN (sic) & C. / ADAMS CENTER N.Y." The right side of the jar is incised in script "Johnny W. Sitser," referring to a local brickmaker who may also have been a potter or other worker in the Hart shop. Born about 1842, in the midst of the Civil War Sitser enlisted as a private in Company J of the 24th New York Cavalry in January 1864. Tragically, he was killed on Christmas Eve of the same year "near Lee's Mills Va. while on a scout." He was only 22. The scarce advertising and highly unusual incised name make this jar a noteworthy example of the Hart family's work, one also existing as a tangible reminder of the tumultuous times in which it was made. Chips and wear to interior of rim. In-the-making, dime-sized stone ping on reverse. H 12 3/4".