March 23, 2019 Auction Featured Photos
No Handy Craft Can with Our Art Compare. Important and Unique Stoneware Snake Flask with Poem, Inscribed "Little Brown Jug," "No handy craft can with our art Compare / We make our pots of what we Potters are," and "the Potter said to the Clay be Ware", Signed "Anna Pottery, / feb 23 / 1884 / high water", Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, 1884.
Few American stoneware objects capture the identity of the potter as this flask does, relating in words and form the role of the potter as a both an artist and utilitarian craftsman. The creative powers of the potter are expressed through the play-on-words, "the Potter said to the Clay be Ware," granting him (or her) an almost God-like role in giving form and purpose to something out of nothing (clay). This verse relates to the Biblical story of the creation of the Earth, in which God said, "Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3) and separated the light from the darkness. The renowned Biloxi, Mississippi, potter, George Ohr--influenced by the Kirkpatricks--would go on to likewise tout his importance as artist/creator, using a similar verse on one on his placards, "the potter said un2 the clay 'be, ware' and it was" in the 1890's.
The proverb that helps form the centerpiece of the jug, "No handy craft can with our art Compare / We make our pots of what we Potters are," is a version of an old potter's saying that dates back to at least the eighteenth century. (A Staffordshire jug dated 1770, for instance, bears the prominent inscription, "No Art With Potters, Can Compare, we Make our Pots of what we Potters Are.") And this phrase, also rife with Biblical imagery, reveals the ultimate irony of the potter's lot in life: he creates his pottery out of the same substance (earth) from which he was created, and he will return to it when his life is over. Such sentiments of the artist's own mortality have been expressed by potters through the ages. Pennsylvania-German sgraffito potters used similar language on their iconic dishes: One sgraffito verse reads, "Die Schisel ist von erd und don / Und die mensch bist auch davon" ("This plate is of earth and clay (thon) / And the men are also thereof").
The verse written vertically along the back of the flask, reading "At last it biteth / like a serpent", is taken from Proverbs 23:32 and echoes the vessel's snake-form handle and the Kirkpatricks' fascination with the Temperance Movement. This line is preceded in the Bible with the verse, "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright" (Proverbs 23:31).
This flask is significant in a number of ways, but none greater than the way in which the Kirkpatricks chose to plainly celebrate their lives as potters and their relationship with the clay and with their industry. It is singular in this respect, and its significance to the Kirkpatricks led them to incise a full date on the underside, "feb 23 1884", followed by the word, "high water," revealing what the weather / environment was like on the day it was made--a treatment and tradition that continues to this day on the underside of pottery. In this case, "high water" refers to the flood waters in towns surrounding the Ohio River during the Great Flood of 1884. Period newspaper accounts bear out that the high water mark of that flood reached certain towns at least about February 23; we know, for instance, that Paducah, Kentucky, saw its high water mark that very day--one that would last at least into the 20th century.
While the words incised on this flask tell the story of the potter's condition in life, it is the potted form itself that manifests these words in physical form: a true work of art created from a meager resource. Literature: Illustrated in Mohr, Pottery, Politics, Art: George Ohr and the Brothers Kirkpatrick, p. 63. H 8".
Southern Stoneware Masterpiece. Exceedingly Rare and Important Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Face Harvest Jug, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1845-1870. This recently-discovered work is among the finest known face vessels produced in the Edgefield potting tradition. The piece's large size, desirable harvest jug form, and expressive face with twisted mustache, create an object of both extreme rarity and folk art appeal. Its wonderful fu-manchu-style mustache is nearly unprecedented in Edgefield face jug production, and is stylistically related to that seen on the iconic face jar or umbrella stand, attributed to the Miles Mills Pottery, in the collection of the High Museum in Atlanta, GA. A second, small-sized monkey jug with similar mustache was also sold in The John Gordon Collection of Folk Americana, Christie's, Jan. 15-19, 1999. Literature: For related examples by the same school or maker, both lacking mustaches, see Baldwin, Great and Noble Jar, p. 81, fig. 3.10 and rear cover.
Provenance: A recently-discovered example, found in the estate of Clive W. Bridgham (1951-2018), Barrington, RI, a descendant of Samuel W. Bridgham (1775-1840), the first mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. This jug was found along with a second large-sized Edgefield face jug, sold as lot 28 in Crocker Farm's July 21, 2018 auction. Possible early owners of the jug include any of Bridgham's three sons, Samuel (1842-1915), Joseph (1845-1915), who served during the Civil War in Company K of the Seventh Regiment of the New York State militia, or William (1849-1916). Samuel W. Bridgham's nephew, Capt. Thomas Paine (1786-1859), may have been responsible for bringing both jugs from South Carolina to Rhode Island. An excerpt from the "Manufacturers’ and Farmers’ Journal," Providence, RI, Nov. 14, 1859, p. 1, reads as follows: "Capt. Thomas Paine, whose death was noticed yesterday, was a gallant officer of the American navy, and a genial and kind hearted man. He was born, we believe, in Massachusetts, but for many years lived in Savannah and in Charleston. He was a nephew of Samuel Bridgham, the first mayor of Providence, and he occasionally visited this city, where many of our readers remember him. We shall doubtless find in the Savannah or Charleston papers a memoir of his life, and a fitting tribute to this worth."
The journal’s passage not only draws a familial connection between South Carolina, the state in which the jugs were produced, and Rhode Island, the jugs' ultimate resting place; it also indicates a possible means by which the jugs traveled to New England, as Paine “occasionally visited [Providence]”, presumably as a ship’s captain. Another possible owner was Paine’s son, Edward Tatnall Paine, (1824-1908), a prominent Charleston cotton farmer and rice planter. His obituary in “The Atlanta Constitution”, August 23, 1908, reads, "Captain Edward Tattnall Paine, the oldest lineal descendant of Governor Landgrave Smith, of South Carolina, died at the residence of his son, Thomas B. Paine, at East Lake, Friday night at 12 o’clock. Captain Paine came to Atlanta two weeks ago to pay a visit to his son, and had been here only a few days when he became ill. Captain Paine was 85 years of age and was born in Charleston, S. C. His father was Captain Thomas Paine, of the United States navy and his mother was Mary Lucia Bellinger, a grand-daughter of Governor Landgrave Smith. Before the war he was a cotton factor and a large rice planter, and for many years he was captain of the famous Charleston Light Dragoons. He was one of the few surviving members of the old St. Cecelia Society of Charleston. He was married to Miss Julia Faber Beckley, of Charleston, a grand-daughter of Charles Desel, of the old Huguenot family of that name, one of the oldest families in South Carolina."
Edward Tatnall Paine’s obituary indicates he was linked to Charleston High Society by marriage and membership in at least two organizations: the Charleston Light Dragoons, an exclusive militia of privileged Charlestonians, which dated back to the 18th century and was ravaged by Grant’s troops at Richmond, and the St. Cecelia Society, which began as a private concert organization, but, by 1820, had essentially become a social club for South Carolina’s elite. Paine was thus connected to two opposing ends of the social spectrum. On one end, as a grower of cotton and rice, he regularly interacted with African-American slaves, a group popularly linked to both the manufacture and ritualistic use of Edgefield-made face vessels. On the other end, he fraternized with Charleston’s wealthiest and most influential through various social institutions, where a piece related to rural African-American culture could be viewed as a curiosity or visually-engaging object. Either association is a possible means by which this piece could have been acquired. Paine’s interactions with Northern relatives later in life could easily explain the two jugs' final resting place in Rhode Island. H 8 1/2".
Stunning Slip. Exceptional Four-Sided Redware Tea Canister with Profuse Manganese Slip Decoration, Incised "[Te]a Caniste[r] / Made Sep 2[2] / 1846", attributed to Ezra White, Mercer, Mercer County, PA, 1846. A closely-related example was sold at Sotheby's, Visual Grace: Important American Folk Art from the Collection of Ralph O. Esmerian, January, 25, 2014, lot 512. The complete inscription on the underside of the Esmerian tea canister allows us to extrapolate the few missing characters on the underside of this example. Other closely-related tea canisters include a pair in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg, one of which bears the inscription, "E. White" and "Mercer", allowing us to firmly attributed this recent discovery to potter, Ezra White, in the town of Mercer, Mercer County, PA. An additional example resides in the collection of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA. Literature: For a photo of the related tea canister, a probable mate to this example, see American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 135, fig. 95A. H 7 3/4".
Boynton Beauty. Exceedingly Rare and Important Three-Gallon Double-Handled Stoneware Cooler with Incised Bird Decoration, Stamped "C. BOYNTON & CO. / TROY", NY State origin, circa 1830. Impressive in its artistic form, bold decoration, and desirable maker, this cooler is among the best examples that we have ever offered by this influential Albany-trained potter. H 15 1/2".
Burger Icon. Rare Five-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Cobalt Standing Lion Decoration, Stamped "J. BURGER, JR. / ROCHESTER, N.Y.", circa 1885. This example, featuring one of the most prized animal subjects in American stoneware, depicts the lion in a vivid cobalt slip less commonly seen in John Burger, Jr. products. New Rochester stoneware discoveries of this quality are considered very unusual. Provenance: A recently-surfaced example, which descended in the family of the consignor. H 18 3/16".
Outstanding Six-Gallon Stoneware Keg-Form Cooler with Incised Fish and Floral Motifs, Albany, NY origin, circa 1810-1820. Sporting a large-sized fish or sturgeon, locally called "Albany beef", as well as a Washington Street floral motif related to early Capron designs, this cooler is among the finest Albany pieces we have offered in recent years. H 17 1/4".
Very Rare Redware Bowl with Profuse Three-Color Slip Decoration, Alamance County, NC origin, circa 1820-1840. The bowl's lavish use of spotted, arched, and dashed trails, all surrounding a large tulip plant, creates a dazzling folk aesthetic. H 2 5/8" ; Diameter 12".
Extremely Rare Stoneware Inkwell with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to David Parr, Sr., Baltimore, MD, circa 1825. This inkwell is among the finest works known by the highly-influential Baltimore potter, David Parr, Sr., whose style radiated throughout the Mid-Atlantic and South during the second and third quarters of the 19th century. Parr is distinguished as one of the first American potters to decorate his ware with elaborately-brushed floral motifs, evidently recognizing the importance of artistry in making a saleable product. This inkwell typifies Parr's propensity for canvasing his work with cobalt slip and is one of a relative few examples of 19th century American stoneware that may actually feature more brushed cobalt than undecorated clay ground. One of only two Parr inkwells of this style recorded and likely the finer of the two, this example is also among the earliest cobalt-decorated examples of the form known in Southern stoneware production. H 2 3/8" ; Diameter 3 1/4".
Important New Discovery. Exceedingly Rare Diminutive Presentation Stoneware Ring Flask with Incised Floral Decoration, Inscribed "Peter Machett / 1812", possibly Crolius Family, Manhattan, NY, 1812. This recently-surfaced work was made by the same talented hand as the iconic "Elizabeth Crane" punch bowl in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan, NY, regarded as one of the finest examples of American stoneware in existence. Both bear a highly-distinctive flowering vine motif characteristic of this as-yet-unidentified potter's work, along with his distinctive handwriting. Made just one year after the punch bowl, this flask is significant on a number of levels and represents an important discovery in American ceramics. Its size is particularly notable, as it ranks among the smallest 19th century American ceramic ring flasks known, standing just 5 3/4" tall, and was presumably made as a pocket-sized liquor flask or a child's present. H 5 3/4".
The Eagle Has Landed. Outstanding and Possibly Unique Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Flying Eagle and Flag Decoration, Stamped "WEST TROY / N.Y. / POTTERY", circa 1875. The first example of West Troy stoneware that we have seen featuring this design.
Patriotic Jug. Outstanding Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Incised Flying Eagle and Bird Motifs, probably CT origin, first quarter 19th century. H 17".
What the Doctor Ordered. Monumental Eight-Gallon Stoneware Presentation Cooler with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Impressed "DOCT. LEWIS RIGGS / HOMER / 1836" and "CHOLLAR & DARBY / HOMER / 1836", Homer, NY origin, 1836. Featuring exceptional size and a wonderful open-handled form with unusual tooled spout, this cooler is the finest example of Homer, NY stoneware that we have offered in nearly fifteen years. The cooler additionally includes the small impressed and cobalt-highlighted initials, "M.W.", at the shoulder on each side, possibly serving as the personal signature of the vessel's specific potter. H 20 1/2".
Lewis Riggs was a very prominent physician in Homer, and a well-documented one, having served in Congress as a Representative in the early 1840's. Because Riggs owned a dry goods store some years prior to when this cooler was made, it is possible that the impressed name is advertising a store owned by the Doctor, as opposed to his medical practice. However, the below biography is very detailed and does not indicate that Riggs was involved in this sort of enterprise in or about 1836; instead, it seems highly likely that this cooler was meant to sit in his office and would have been a very familiar presence to the many patients who visited him on a regular basis.
The following biography of Riggs is well worth reading and appears in the 1885 History of Cortland County:
Dr. Lewis Riggs was born in Norfolk, Conn., on the 16th of January, 1789. ... His taste and talent for mechanical employment led to his apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade to Mr. Samuel N. Gaylord, with whom he came to Cortland in the spring of 1805. In after years, when riding over the country as a practitioner of medicine, he was able to point to not a few houses and barns which he helped to build. ... In the spring of 1809 he decided on the profession of medicine, and commenced his student life in the office of Dr. Samuel Woodward, of Torringford, Conn., a practitioner of high repute ... . In May, 1812, he received a county license to practice, but continued in the office of his preceptor during the summer, but in October of that year he went to Philadelphia to attend a course of medical lectures in the University of Pennsylvania. Here he sat under the instruction of Drs. Rush, Philip Syng Physic, Dorsey and Wistar---the leaders in medical thought at that period. This was the last course of lectures delivered by the venerable Rush at the close of a long and active life as civilian, medical practitioner, author and medical professor. He died April 19th, 1813. Dr. Physic has been called the father of American surgery, as Dr. Rush was confessedly the father of American medicine. To listen to the instruction of these men was a rare opportunity for young Riggs, and was not allowed to pass without being improved, and the lessons made impressions which lasted for a life time. From conversations which the writer had with Dr. Riggs in the latter years of his life, it is certain that Dr. Physic, equally with Dr. Rush, was impressed by the diligence and acuteness of perception of the young student from Connecticut, and as the testimonials which he bore away from these men, and now in the hands of Dr. H. O. Jewett, of Cortland---having the "sign manual" of one of the signers of the Declaration, and of the father of American surgery---abundantly show.
[I]n 1818 [he] removed to Homer and opened a drug store, intending to associate trade with practice as less laborious than an entire devotion to general work in the professional field. But he soon found himself engaged in large practice. ... For about ten years he continued the practice of his profession in Homer, but in the summer of 1828 sold his property and "practice" to Dr. Metcalf and removed to Trumansburg, engaging as a partner in a dry good store. We have no explanation of this strange movement for a physician well prepared for professional work, but find it pleasant to make a record of the fact he did not long remain in a business which ill-befitted him and with which he naturally became dissatisfied. Dr. Metcalf, for some reason, did not remain in Homer long and Dr. Riggs was persuaded by his former patrons in that town to return to his legitimate calling. There he applied himself with his characteristic energy to professional work and soon became one of the leading practitioners, and for several years performed a large share of the medical and surgical practice of the town.
[Riggs] was nominated in the fall of 1840 by his political party to represent the district in Congress. He was elected and served his constituents as the representative of the Twenty-second District in the Twenty-seventh Congress, 1841-42. This led to his retirement from practice and to his engagement in other enterprises which would relieve him from the labors of professional work. He purchased the flouring mill south of the village and erected a new stone building on its site, superintending its construction and planning many of the details of its machinery. But this did not distract his attention entirely from his interest in medicine, and he frequently responded to professional calls from his old friends and patrons.
In the spring of 1847 he had an attack of hemiplegia, which confined him to this bed for several weeks and threatened the termination of his life. From this attack he gradually recovered and in a few months was able to resume his accustomed employments. But he never recovered his former strength and activity. Still his memory, except for certain words and names, and his mental faculties generally seemed but slightly, if at all, impaired.
He attended to some calls about the village by those who still insisted on having the opinion and advice of "the old doctor," and also attended at times to consultation visits in the country. ... He died about midnight of the 7th of November, 1870, in the eighty-second year of his age. ... Dr. Riggs possessed a good physique with a large amount of vital stamina and great physical and moral courage. His countenance was strongly marked, his eyes were dark, his brow prominent, his mouth firm and compressed, bordering on the severe. His personal appearance conveyed at once the impression of unusual force of character. He possessed a mind naturally vigorous and well poised; was thorough, bold and independent in his thoughts and actions and firm in his convictions.
Fine Salt-Glazed Anna Pottery Stoneware Pig Flask, Inscribed "Latest and Only Reliable / Railroad and River Guide / Compliments of / A.E. Marks / No 215 N. Main St St Louis / 1887", Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, 1887. Provenance: Recently discovered in the estate of the consignor's grandmother. L 7".
Rare Stoneware Temperance Jug with Profuse Applied Snake Decoration, Midwestern or Southern U.S. origin, circa 1885. This jug features a large snake handle and twelve smaller snakes, for a total of thirteen snakes, a number possibly symbolic of bad luck. More research is required to determine the maker, although its style is clearly based upon the work of masters, Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, of Anna, IL. Provenance: A recently-discovered example, consigned from Maryland. H 8 1/2".
Rare Five-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Reclining Doe Scene, Stamped "FORT EDWARD / POTTERY CO.", George Satterlee, Fort Edward, NY, circa 1859. The size of the decoration on this example, including unusually-elaborate ground cover, is noteworthy.
Extremely Rare Pair of Glazed Redware Whale Oil Lamps, Maine origin, possibly John Corliss, Woolwich, ME, circa 1825. Provenance: Recently found in a house near Day's Ferry, the site of the Corliss Pottery. H (of taller example) 4 1/2".
Exceptional Small-Sized Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "JOHN BELL / WAYNESBORO'", PA origin, circa 1850-1880. The distinctive tulip motif indicates this pitcher was decorated by John Bell's son, Charles Frederick Bell 1840-1899). H 5 3/8".
Fleet at His Finest. Extremely Rare Pair of Glazed Redware Porch Vases, Stamped "WINCHESTER / POTTERIES / VA", attributed to Theodore "Thedy" Fleet, Round Hill Pottery, Frederick County, VA, circa 1930. Among the finest surviving examples of Round Hill Pottery redware known, these two vases are potted in an exceptionally large size with brilliantly-glazed surfaces. H (of taller example) 15".
Rare Eight-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Cobalt "Ghost Bird" Decoration, Stamped "FORT EDWARD STONEWARE CO. / FORT EDWARD, N.Y.", circa 1875. H 19 3/4".
Fine Six-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Bold Cobalt Bird-on-Log Decoration, Stamped "E. & L.P. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT", circa 1870. The pairing of the plumed bird and sawed log, two classic motifs from this period of Norton family production, is unusual.
Crimped and Dimpled George Ohr Pottery Vase, Stamped "G. E. OHR / Biloxi, Miss.", circa 1897-1900. H 3 1/2".
Rare Two-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar, Stamped "J.S. PENLAND", Buncombe County, NC origin, late 19th century.
Liberty Forever. Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jar with Impressed Designs, Stamped "LIBERTY . FOR.EV / WARNE & LETTs 1807 / S . AMBOY . N . JERSY", Thomas Warne and Joshua Letts, South Amboy, New Jersey, 1807. One of the most iconic American stoneware maker's marks. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, from a long-term NJ collection.
Rare Half-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Impressed Drape Decoration, Stamped "T.W. J.L", Thomas Warne and Joshua Letts, South Amboy, NJ, early 19th century.
Early Squat Pot. Extremely Rare Presentation Stoneware Preserve Jar, Inscribed "Plumb" and "Mrs. E. moyers Nov. 19th 1845", attributed to the Coffman Family, Rockingham County, VA, 1845. This example of the scarce "squat pot" form from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley includes a highly unusual presentation inscription featuring an exceptionally early date. It survives as possibly the earliest dated example of this form to be documented. H (excluding lid) 5".
Very Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "A. KEISTER & CO. / STRASBURG, VA", circa 1850.
Boughner Birds. Exceedingly Rare and Important Four-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Freehand Bird and Stripe Decorations, Stenciled "R. PEET. / 21. diamond / PittsBURGH. Pa", attributed to Alexander Vance Boughner, Greensboro, PA, circa 1865. Among the finest-decorated Western Pennsylvania stoneware jars to come to auction in recent years, this outstanding example features elaborate striped brushwork flanked by large freehand birds. It survives as one of a small number of Greensboro stoneware pieces with freehand figural decoration known, potted by the city's most desirable maker. While the distinctive striping and "R. Peet" merchant advertising lead to a Boughner attribution, its four-gallon capacity mark can be matched to signed "A. & W. BOUGHNER" pieces of a slightly earlier period.
A Big Littell. Rare Four-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Profuse Stenciled and Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Stenciled "FROM / J. LITTELL", Greensboro, PA, circa 1870. The finest example of Littell stoneware that we have ever offered.
Philadelphia Rarity. Important Stoneware Presentation Communal Pipe Bowl with Lid, Signed in Ink, "George W. Haig / 1.8.8.5." Inscribed in cobalt with the recipient's initials, "H.T." A previously-undocumented stoneware potter, George W. Haig (born circa 1844) is the son of the well-known Philadelphia potter, Thomas Haig, Jr. The ink inscription on the bottom is probably original to the pipe, which was likely made for a local fraternal organization in the vein of the Tammany Society or Improved Order of Redmen, which drew from Native American culture. An extremely rare stoneware form and a wonderful small size, notable as well is the presence of the original, decorated lid, taking this example over the top as one of the finer examples of Philadelphia stoneware we have handled.
Master of Form and Glaze. Rare and Important Large-Sized Redware Ale Mug with Copper Glaze, Stamped "J. BELL", John Bell, Waynesboro, PA, circa 1840. This outstanding example features a striking lead-and-copper glaze applied over a slip-coated ground. This slip treatment is evident on the interior of the mug and creates a beautiful contrast with the heavy green on the exterior, which also cascades down the interior rim area. Blackish-glazed areas to the base suggest a third possible colorant. Later Bell pieces utilize a similar glaze, which assumes an almost neon-green color. This mug is the earliest example that we have seen featuring what we consider one of Bell's most sophisticated glazes. H 6 1/2".
Rare Anna Pottery Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Shoo Fly Jug, Inscribed "Shoo Fly" and "Original Package", Anna, IL, circa 1890-1896. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, recently discovered in Florida. H 5 1/4".
Fine Anna Pottery Salt-Glazed Stoneware Railroad Pig Flask, Signed and Dated "by Anna Pottery / 1882", Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, 1882. Appealing petite size and wonderful high-styled Kirkpatrick penmanship. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which descended in the family of the consignor. L 6 1/4".
Rare Anna Pottery Salt-Glazed Stoneware Pedestal Base with Molded Angel Handles and Crimped Ornamentation, Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, circa 1885. H 12 1/2".
Exceptional Large-Sized Redware Bowl with Two-Color Slip Decoration, Pennsylvania origin, circa 1825. H 5 1/4" ; Diam. 15".
Capitol Crock. Extremely Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Foliate Decoration, Stamped "T.H. WILLSON & CO. / HARRISBURG, PA", circa 1852. This elusive jar features one of the most decorative American stoneware maker's marks, depicting an impressed image of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. Known as the Hills Capitol, this building was destroyed by fire in 1897.
Extremely Rare One-and-a-Half-Gallon Stoneware Batter Pail with Cobalt Nesting Bird Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA", circa 1865. A prized Cowden & Wilcox form featuring bold wreath decoration on the front, and a nesting bird within a wreath on the reverse. The nesting bird motif, scarce in its own right on any Cowden & Wilcox products, is highly unusual on this form. H 9".
Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Incised "JC Pittmans Jug / made By JWP", Pittman Family, Graves County, Kentucky origin, circa 1880. H 14 1/4".
Phenomenal Form. Extremely Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Umbrella Stand with Open Molded Handles, Fort Edward, NY origin, circa 1875. The only stoneware umbrella stand from this prolific potting city that we have seen. H 21 5/8".
Rare Small-Sized Stoneware Jar with Coggled Maker's Mark, PAUL.CUSHMANS:STONEWARE.FACTORY.1809", Albany, NY origin, 1809. H 7 1/2".
Rare Small-Sized Stoneware Jar with Coggled Maker's Mark, Stamped "PAUL:CUSHMANS:STONEWARE.FACTORY.1811", Albany, NY origin, 1811. H 7 3/4".
Miniature Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Clover Decoration, Baltimore, MD origin, circa 1870. H 3 7/8".
Very Rare Side-Handled Stoneware Coffee Boiler with Alkaline Glaze, Becham Family, Crawford County, GA, late 19th or early 20th century. Provenance: Dug at the Oscar Becham House. H 8".
Rare One-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug with Incised Signature, "CJB", Columbus Jackson Becham, Crawford County, GA, late 19th or early 20th century.
Four-Gallon Double-Handled Stoneware Jug with Alkaline Glaze, Stamped "CJB", Columbus Jackson Becham, Crawford County, GA, late 19th or early 20th century.
Newly-Discovered Maker's Mark.Extremely Rare Stoneware Water Filter with Elaborate Cobalt Clover Decoration, Stamped "Brotheron & Davidson. / PATENT. / BALTIMORE", Baltimore, MD, circa 1838. This partnership's patented filter is previously known only from advertisements in local Baltimore newspapers circa 1838. It is the first example of stoneware signed by Captain Thomas Brotherton and George Henry Davidson to have surfaced. Davidson would later travel to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, establishing the partnerships, "Miller and Davidson" and "Kenner, Davidson, and Miller", in Strasburg. H 15".
Outstanding Three-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Flowering Urn Decoration, Baltimore, MD, circa 1825.
Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Mug with Incised Figural Decoration, Inscribed "White's Pottery/ 146-14 / MWJ", Utica, NY origin, late 19th or early 20th century. H (to top of pewter thumbrest) 8 1/4".
Fine One-Gallon Vertical-Handled Stoneware Jar with Impressed Swag-and-Tassel Decoration, Stamped "COMMERAWS STONEWARE", Thomas Commeraw, Manhattan, NY, early 19th century.
Virginia Rarity. Extremely Rare Shenandoah Valley Manganese-Decorated Stoneware Inkwell, attributed to Solomon Bell, Strasburg, VA, circa 1875. Likely modeled after glass examples of the 19th century, this inkwell is the first stoneware example made by a member of the Bell family that we have seen. The piece's distinctive color and manganese-over-white-slip decoration lead to a firm attribution to Shenandoah Valley master potter, Solomon Bell. Traces of blackish powdered ink on the interior base corroborate its use as an inkwell. The inkwell form remains one of the more desirable 19th century American stoneware vessel types. While a few potters, such as New York's Clarkson Crolius, Sr. and Nathan Clark, Sr., made inkwells on a regular basis, this form was typically not a standard production item. Inscribed examples indicate many were made as specially-ordered or gifted presentation pieces. Given the extreme paucity of Shenandoah Valley stoneware inkwells surviving today, it is likely that this example was one such specially-made object. Among the most significant Bell family stoneware discoveries of recent years. H 3 3/4" ; Diameter (at base) 3 1/8".
Fine Two-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Bird-in-Branch Motif, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA", circa 1865.
Fine Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Harvest Jug with Elaborate Applied Grape, Floral, and Classical Figure Motifs, Ohio origin, circa 1885. H 11 1/2".
Very Rare Copper-Decorated Redware Dish, attributed to Henry Watkins, Randolph or Guilford County, NC, circa 1820-1850. Literature: For a related example, see Pugh and Minnock-Pugh, "The Quaker Ceramic Tradition in Piedmont North Carolina", Ceramics in America 2010, fig. 18. H 2" ; Diameter 9 10/16".
Flower Power. Exceptional Three-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "WILLSON'S & YOUNG / HARRISBURG, PA", circa 1855. Provenance: Recently surfaced in the Midwestern U.S.
Manhattan Stoneware at its Earliest. Important and Extremely Rare Small-Sized Stoneware Jug with Chattered Decoration, Manhattan, NY origin, second or third quarter 18th century. Literature: For related chattered decorations on Crolius and Remmey sherds excavated at the Africal Burial Ground in Manhattan, NY, see Janowitz, New York City Stonewares from the African Burial Ground, Ceramics in America 2008, figs. 36-41. H 8".
Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jar, Stamped "D.T. JOHNSON / GRAND JUNCTION / TENN", TN origin, circa 1875. According to Smith and Rogers in their expansive Tennessee Potteries, Pots, and Potters - 1790s to 1950, David T. Johnson purchased Benjamin F. Ussery's Grand Junction stoneware manufactory "in early 1874," selling it only a couple of years later. Speaking to the extreme rarity of this maker's mark--the first example of which we have seen--Smith and Rogers note that they "were shown a privately-owned, small brown-glazed stoneware jar" with this mark in the 1970's--suggesting no other surviving examples were known to them.
Possibly Unique Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Snake Doorstop, probably Colvin Family, Jane Lew, WV, fourth quarter 19th century. The in-the-firing pitting to the heavy Albany slip glaze as well as the color of the unglazed clay on the underside of the snake indicates this piece was likely made by a member of the Colvin family in Jane Lew, WV, stylistically related to the popular reclining spaniel figures from this shop. A wonderful folk sculpture with excellent provenance. Provenance: Ex-Clark Garrett Collection. H 4 1/8" ; L 6 7/8".
Two-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt Rooster Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT", circa 1855.
Outstanding Two-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, Baltimore, MD origin, circa 1825.
Scarce Eight-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "J. WEAVER.", Beaver, PA origin, circa 1865. H 19 3/4".
Bennington Beauty. Exceptional Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Flying Eagle Decoration, Stamped “J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT.”, circa 1855. A beautiful example of a prized Norton motif, featuring a 17” wingspan along the curve of the jug’s front.
Folk Art Fowl. Outstanding Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Oversized Cobalt Peacock-on-Stump Decoration, Stamped "OTTMAN BROS. & CO. / FORT EDWARD, N.Y.", circa 1875. Among the finest examples of signed Fort Edward, NY stoneware that we have ever offered. The subject matter, size of this design, and lavish application of the cobalt slip are all exemplary.
Bid Bird. Exceptional Five-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Pheasant-on-Stump Decoration, Stamped "HUDSON N.Y. POTTERY", Benjamin Wolford at the Hudson, New York stoneware manufactory of Amos S. Hover and Charles Fingar, circa 1870.
Four-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Decoration of a Bird in Naturalistic Setting, Stamped "HAXSTUN, OTTMAN & CO. / FORT EDWARD N.Y.", circa 1870.
Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Sailing Ship Decoration, Northeastern U.S. origin, circa 1880.
Shenandoah Valley Multi-Glazed Redware Pitcher and Bowl Set, attributed to J. Eberly & Co., Strasburg, VA, circa 1890. H (0f pitcher) 11 3/8" ; H (of bowl) 7" ; Diameter (of bowl) 14".
Rare Small-Sized Stoneware Jug with Alkaline Glaze, Stamped "DH", David Hartzog, Vale, NC, circa 1840. Hartzog's son, Daniel Hartsoe, also employed a "DH" maker's mark to sign his ware, impressed in a different font at the shoulder of his pieces. The "DH" mark on this jug, however, matches the font seen on the iconic "DAVID HARTZOG HIS MAKE" jug in the collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Winston-Salem, NC. Exceptional size and fine potting, featuring an unusual combination of tooling at the mouth and base of the spout. Produced by one of the region's earliest alkaline-glazed stoneware manufacturers.
Fine Alkaline-Glazed Double Face Jug with Rock Teeth, Signed “Lanier Meaders”, Cleveland, GA, circa 1970.
Avant-Garde Face Jug. Two-Gallon Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Face Jug, Stamped "WHITES BINGHAMTON", NY State origin, circa 1870. This boldly-brushed jug is ahead of its time, featuring a face design reminiscent of modern art. While the vast majority of cobalt-face-decorated pieces depict a smaller outlined face or bust, in either a front or profile view, the decoration on this jug scales to the capacity of the jug, making the jug itself form the figure's head. While lacking any applied work, it is, in essence, a cobalt-decorated face vessel.
Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Man-in-the-Moon Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA", circa 1865.
Outstanding Eight-Gallon Stoneware Water Cooler with Cobalt Bird, Butterfly, and Grapes Decorations, Stamped “CHARLESTOWN”, Barnabas Edmands, Charlestown, MA origin, circa 1840.
Fine Two-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Stenciled and Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Stenciled "Hamilton & Jones / Greensboro / Greene Co. Pa", circa 1870.
Very Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Pinched Spout and Incised Bird-on-Fence Motif, Incised "WINE", Herbertsville, NJ origin, circa 1825. This jug's cruet-like pouring spout, incised fence below the bird, and its inscription for the jug's contents, are all noteworthy details of this newly-discovered work. The reddish-brown body of the jug indicates it was probably coated in an iron-oxide wash prior to being decorated and fired, an unusual treatment.
A Link to the Old World. Exceedingly Rare and Important Stoneware Mug with Cobalt Flying Bird Motifs, Manhattan, NY or Cheesequake, NJ origin, circa 1725-1780. The chinoiserie flying bird pattern on this mug can be related to similar motifs on imported china of the 18th century, including the well-known Delft squirrel plate fragments excavated in Williamsburg, VA, now popularly sold as reproductions. This mug's cobalt-highlighted banding reveals a clear link to the Westerwald style as well as 18th century mug and tankard fragments excavated at the African Burial Ground in Manhattan, NY, adjacent to the Crolius and Remmey Potteries, as well as fragments excavated at the Morgan Pottery in Cheesequake, NJ. H 5 1/8".