Extremely Rare Three-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "A. & J. H. RHOADS / MIDDLEBURY / OHIO," mid 19th century, ovoid pitcher with semi-squared spout, brush-decorated around the midsection with a leafy stem bearing eight stylized tulips. Wreath-like brushwork around spout. Impressed with A. & J. H. Rhoads maker's mark on collar. To our knowledge, no previous research has determined the identity of the makers who used this rare mark. However, the 1860 federal census for Middlebury, Summit County, Ohio, lists John Rhoads, shoemaker, and his wife, Amanda, living adjacent to (or perhaps on the same premises as) a stoneware manufactory. It appears that the Rhoads family, like numerous other merchants during the time period, owned a stoneware shop in Middlebury and had it superintended by perhaps multiple potters. The same census reveals the Rhoads shop to have been situated within the thick of a vibrant community of potters, and the one responsible for this pitcher was almost certainly trained in Baltimore or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region with a heavy Baltimore influence. Since the "A." in the Rhoads partnership was almost certainly Amanda, this mark is the only known American stoneware mark we can think of that includes the name of a female pottery owner. Featuring an exceptional size and desirable form, this work is also the first example of stoneware bearing this mark that we have ever offered. Excellent condition with only minor flaws. A few short lines in underside, two of which extend a short distance onto base. A small in-the-firing ping at base. Minor glazed-over chipping to base. Two areas of light surface wear below midsection, which appear to be in the firing. H 14 3/4".
