Outstanding Five-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Cobalt Deer and Tree Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON VT," circa 1855, ovoid churn with tooled shoulder, semi-rounded rim, and applied lug handles, decorated with a slip-trailed design of a central tree with forked trunk and four branches bearing clusters of leaves, flanked by a reclining stag with spotted body and a fence. Heavy, stylized ground cover below. Cobalt highlights to maker's mark and capacity mark. The style of the design indicates it was executed by German-born itinerant artist, John Hilfinger (1826-1888), one of America's most talented stoneware decorators of the 19th century. The composition of the scene is highly unusual as it favors a tree as the focal point of the image. Such depictions are highly unusual in Hilfinger's work. Typical of better Norton pieces, this churn features brilliant color and thick, enamel-like cobalt. A thin, sealed 7 1/2" crack to reverse, descending from shoulder. Some staining to exterior. Heavier water glass staining to interior. Some in-the-firing cobalt haze to front. Tiny chips and wear to inner rim for lid. A small, glazed-over pre-firing chip to bottom edge. Code written in black marker on underside. H 17 3/8".
