Exceedingly Rare and Important Small-Sized Stoneware Jar with Freehand Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "COMMERAW'S STONEWARE / CORLEARS HOOK," Manhattan, NY origin, early 19th century, ovoid jar with the footed base, heavily tooled shoulder, and slightly flared collar, impressed with the cobalt-highlighted maker's mark, "COMMERAW'S STONEWARE," on one side and the words, "CORLEARS HOOK," on the reverse. Jar additionally features a freehand quatrefoil floral motif on a third side (interspersed with tassel-shaped devices related to Commeraw's stamped designs) and a three-petaled flower emanating from a stylized ground on the opposing side applied with a brush or slip cup--a decorative method previously undocumented in Commeraw's work. This remarkable recent discovery is highly significant in its decoration as well as its size. At just 7 1/4" tall, it is possibly the smallest marked Commeraw vessel known. The visual appeal of the object is magnified by the imposing size of the maker's marks against the petite proportions of the jar, with the "COMMERAW'S" and "CORLEARS" stamps spanning the majority of the pot's width. More importantly, this jar changes the story of Commeraw's stoneware and the potter's known decorative techniques. Prior to the emergence of this jar, Commeraw was known to have employed three decorative styles on his vessels. The first, found on his earliest work, is hand-incising, typically expressed through floral motifs, likely learned during Commeraw's formative years as a potter with the Crolius family. The second is compass incising, found on a relatively small group of jars, a technique in which a compass tool is impressed into the clay, forming semi-circular drapes at the shoulder. The third, Commeraw's most typical style, is impressed decoration, in which individually stamped drape and tassel motifs adorn the vessel in a variety of configurations. This newly discovered fourth method, freehand cobalt decoration applied with a brush or slip cup, adds an entirely new dimension to attributions of pieces made at Commeraw's shop, and suggests there may be a larger body of unmarked pieces made at his pottery than previously known. The quatrefoil floral motif used on the jar, unsurprisingly, closely relates to one that has been associated with the Crolius family. As an example, a small stoneware jug, bearing the mark, "C. CROLIUS / MANUFACTURER / MANHATTAN-WELLS / NEW-YORK," offered as lot 2 in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s March 8, 2008 auction, bears a variant of this design. An unmarked miniature Manhattan jug, dating to the third quarter of the 18th century and offered in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s July 22, 2017 auction, lot 65, reveals that this design had been used for decades in the city contemporaneous with the well-known "watch spring" motifs. (Commeraw's interest in antecedent decorative methods is further evidenced by his use of vertical handle attachments on his jars, using this style later than any other Manhattan potter.) As the only known example of marked Commeraw stoneware bearing freehand cobalt decoration, and one of a possibly unique size, this jar represents the most significant discovery in this potter's production of the last several years, one which broadens the horizons of an already-incredible story in American ceramic history. Provenance: While discovered by the consignor in Baltimore ten years ago, this jar was placed on a shelf for a decade, its identity realized only weeks ago. (Commeraw died in this city in 1823 after traveling aboard the ship Elizabeth to establish an African-American colony in Africa in 1820.) Chipping around base, some of which is glazed over. A minor, 3/8" glaze flake near base near a minuscule spot of wear. Rim with a minor nick to exterior and narrow areas of wear to interior. Heavy exfoliation to interior walls of jar. Light exfoliation to underside. H 7 1/4".
