Very Rare and Fine Manganese-Decorated Redware Figure of a Cat, attributed to John Bell, Waynesboro, PA, circa 1840-1860, hollow-molded figure of a cat with collar, seated on oblong base with upward-curled tail, the surface decorated with manganese sponging over a light orange ground and covered in a clear lead glaze. This elusive Bell figural form was produced by the Bell family in both Waynesboro, Pennsylvania and Strasburg, Virginia. This example is the finest colored and conditioned among the three John Bell cats that we have ever offered, the other two having a darker glaze and significant restoration. In his book, The Pottery of the Shenandoah Valley Region, Dr. H.E. Comstock comments on their rarity, noting "[m]olded cats were occasionally produced in the Waynesboro shop, but few have survived" (Comstock, p. 157). Literature: Illustrated in Comstock, The Pottery of the Shenandoah Valley Region, p. 157, fig. 4.219; Illustrated in Manger, Pottery from the Shenandoah and Cumberland Valleys, p. 39. Provenance: Pauline Heilman Collection; Sotheby's, American Folk Art, Furniture and Related Decorative Arts: The Collection of the Late Pauline Heilman, York, Pennsylvania, York Inter-State Fair Grounds, July 16 and 17, 1982, lot 529; Dr. George and Connie Manger Collection. Excellent condition with a small chip to bottom edge of base below tail, retaining a clean, brilliant luster to the surface. This condition is noteworthy for a form that, when found, is typically damaged. H 5".
