March, 21 2020 Auction Featured Photos

The Broadway Water Cooler. Unparalleled in artistry, this work is regarded as the finest example of American salt-glazed stoneware to come to auction since the famous "Elizabeth Crane / 1811" punch bowl sold in 1978. Superlatives fail to describe this newly-discovered work of ceramic art, which ranks among the greatest examples of 19th century American utilitarian pottery in existence.

Incomparable Seven-Gallon Stoneware Water Cooler with Exuberant Incised and Impressed Decoration of New York City's Broadway, Stamped Twice "W.H. FARRAR & CO. / GEDDES, N.Y.," Dated 1846. Depicting a Broadway street scene during the Great National Jubilee of the Order of the Sons of Temperance, this cooler's extravagant decoration is unprecedented in 19th century American ceramic production. The design illustrates the national headquarters of the organization, located at 315 Broadway and marked "GRAND LODGE / CITY NY," beside a townhouse and a fire alarm bell tower with a female figure alighting a landing to ring the bell. (Period accounts note that the morning of the Jubilee was marked by a prominent ringing of bells.) The distinctive dome and cupola of New York Hospital, located at 319 Broadway and a key New York landmark of the time, are visible behind the Grand Lodge. Another local landmark, the Canal Street Bridge, appears below the female figure, along with the three degrees of membership in the society, "Love Purity & Fidelity," inscribed above. The arch of the bridge covers the inscription, "Look not upon the wine," taken from Proverbs 23:31 and referencing the fraternal organization's rejection of alcoholic drink. An intricately-patterned design of Broadway's cobblestone street forms a base for the architectural designs above.

The left side of the cooler depicts a large flag bearing the "STAR OF TEMPERANCE," emanating from a cartouche with a list of the positions of the society's officers. The collar is impressed with the three degrees of the society's membership, "LOVE, PURITY & FIDELITY," above a radiating medallion of impressed decoration.

The cooler, while depicting an 1846 celebration at the Sons of Temperance National Headquarters in Manhattan, bears a stamp for the "SALINA DIVISON. NO. 86 / SONS OF TEMPERANCE," located in part of present-day Syracuse, the town in which the cooler was made. The maker's mark of Geddes (now Syracuse) potter, William H. Farrar, is proudly stamped at both the rim and body of the cooler, along with its year of manufacture, 1846, above the bunghole. Born circa 1813, Farrar was among the country's most influential 19th century potters, most well-known for the artistic slip-trailed stoneware he produced at his Geddes shop. However, his interests in American ceramic production were far-reaching as he was also involved in the United States Pottery Company of Bennington, VT and the Southern Porcelain Company of Kaolin, SC, both of which produced molded wares during the mid 19th century. This cooler is obviously his masterpiece.

Hand-incising and at least sixteen different decorative stamps, impressed in a variety of ways, were used to ornament this work, creating a design of scope, detail, and perspective, previously undocumented in American stoneware. A sprig-molded floral motif further embellishes the rim and base. The cooler's outrageous form, potted as a flare-rimmed urn with rope-twist handles and stepped pedestal base, is among the most expressive that we have seen in the 19th century American stoneware craft. Its monumental size enhances the beauty of the form, extravagant decoration, and, ultimately, its visual impact on the viewer.

Provenance: A completely fresh-to-the-market, recently-discovered work. Family history indicates this cooler was used during the 19th century to serve ice water at the Hanchett Inn of Ellisburg, Jefferson County, NY. H 26".

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African-American Ceramic Art. Rare Eight-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar, Incised "Lm / Decr 17. 1857 / Dave," Dave at Lewis Miles's Stoney Bluff Manufactory, Horse Creek Valley, Edgefield District, SC, 1857. Sporting a robust, wide-mouthed form and poured green alkaline glaze, this jar includes an unusual incised symbol beside the potter's name, resembling a half-moon, letter "D," reductive fish, or shackle. The reverse features two incised slash marks flanked by two groups of four punctates. A series of hastily-scrawled slashes also appear at the base on the jar's front. Surviving in excellent condition, this jar is among the finest examples of Dave stoneware that we have offered to date. H 16" ; Diam. (across top) 12 7/8".

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Important Glaze. Exceptional Three-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Incised "Lm / June 10-1853," Dave at Lewis Miles' Stoney Bluff Manufactory, Horse Creek Valley, Edgefield District, SC, 1853. Among Dave's most brilliantly-glazed vessels known, this jug features heavy, bluish-white rutile runs to one side. While rutile-glazing was relatively common elsewhere in the American South, it is considered extremely rare in Dave's work, with only a few examples documented. A related 1853 jug (with restored handle) resides in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY. H 14 3/4".

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Southern Ship. Exceedingly Rare and Important One-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Incised Ship Decoration, Stamped "J. SWANN / ALEXA," Alexandria, VA origin, circa 1820. Several accolades qualify this jar as one of the finest examples of Northern Virginia stoneware known, as well as one of the finest examples of Southern salt-glazed stoneware to come to auction in the past decade or more. It is the only signed example of Southern-made stoneware known featuring a decoration of a sailing ship, and one of only two pieces of Alexandria stoneware known with incised decoration. ( The second example is a highly-important water cooler made for merchant, J.W. Smith, at the pottery of Hugh Charles Smith, which bears various incised motifs and resides in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.). The jar additionally bears one of the earliest impressed stamps found on Southern salt-glazed stoneware, that of Alexandria, Virginia potter, John Swann. As Swann's oeuvre is typified by dipped iron-oxide or generally-sparse brushed cobalt decorations, the design on this jar clearly defines this object as the potter's masterpiece. The jar's intricately-incised design may have been copied by the decorator from an image and was no doubt inspired by the harbor city's rich maritime history. Provenance: Discovered by the consignor in the basement of her grandmother’s Warren County, PA farmhouse. H 8 1/2".

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Face Jug Discovery. Rare Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Face Jug with Kaolin Eyes and Teeth, attributed to Miles Mill, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1865-1875. This work is the finest example from this pottery to come to auction in years, surviving in excellent condition and featuring a high-gloss, olive-toned glaze. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, acquired by a Mid-Atlantic consignor forty years ago. H 5".

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Goodale Masterwork. Monumental Six-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Incised Federal Eagle and Floral Motifs, Stamped "D. GOODALE / HARTFORD," CT origin, circa 1825-1830. Featuring an outstanding incised design, imposing size, and sculptural double-handled form, this jug is among the finest examples of signed Daniel Goodale stoneware that we have seen. Provenance: A recently-surfaced example, acquired decades ago by the consignor. H 21".

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Intricate Incising. Exceptional Small-Sized Stoneware Presentation Jug with Incised Bird Decoration, Impressed Four Times "S.P.D.," Utica, NY origin, probably George Brayton, Aaron Kellogg, and/or Sylvester Doolittle, circa 1827-1832. The initials, "S.P.D," may indicate this jug was made as a special piece for Sylvester Doolittle or another member of the Doolittle family. H 8 1/4".

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Southern Masterwork. Exceedingly Rare Glazed Redware Pitcher with Profuse Three-Color Slip Decoration, Loy or Albright Families, Alamance County, NC origin, late 18th century. Provenance: Recently discovered in Virginia. H 10".

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Important Chandler Jar. Extremely Rare Seven-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Two-Color Slip Decoration, Stamped "CHANDLER MAKER," Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1845-1850. The iron-and-kaolin-slip decoration on the jar is more commonly found on earlier works by Chandler, made during his tenure at Phoenix Factory on Shaw's Creek and rarely seen by the time he began impressing ware with a "CHANDLER MAKER" stamp. This jar may be among the earliest pieces made by Chandler after the inception of this iconic Southern maker's mark. Literature: Illustrated in Burrison, Brothers in Clay, Color Plate 2. H 18 1/2".

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Georgia Masterpiece. Outstanding Eight-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Bold "Paint Rock" Alkaline Glaze, attributed to James Long or John Becham, Crawford County, GA, circa 1840. Exceptional size and stunning striated glaze. Literature: Illustrated on back cover of Burrison, Brothers in Clay. H 17 3/4".

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Beautiful Brushwork. Fine Four-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "M & T MILLER / NEWPORT, PA," circa 1870. A striking example of the Miller brothers' extravagant brushwork, exhibiting strong color and decorating the majority of the front of a large-sized jug.

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Signature Design. Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Incised Deer and Fort Scene, Stamped "C. HART & SON / SHERBURNE," NY State origin, circa 1866-1885. This jug features extremely rare incised execution of a popular New York State animal motif, during a period when slip-trailing was the standard method of decorating. The elaborate detail of the scene, which includes a fence, stump, tree, and fort with large flag, is noteworthy. Literature: A related "C. HART & SON / SHERBURNE" jug depicting only a leaping stag is illustrated in Webster, Decorated Stoneware Pottery of North America, p. 125. The caption for the illustrated jug reads as follows, "What better a design for Charles Hart of Sherburne, New York, than an incised hart, that European cousin of the North American caribou. This neatly incised animal with the lines filled with blue, may have been intended as a standard design, but it is in fact one of very few examples of incised designs by this pottery, and by far the latest of any known incised designs dating after 1866. . . Collection of John Paul Remensnyder."

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Crockery & Glass ware. Exceptional Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Pig Flask, Inscribed "from / Manning & Co. Importers of / Crockery & Glass ware. Corner of / fourth and st. Charles Streets / St. Louis mo," Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, circa 1871-1876. The firm of Manning & Co. came into existence in or about 1871 as a new partnership involving local china and queensware merchant Melville Malcolm Manning. We cannot find this firm operating beyond 1876, giving a fairly small window for the date of this pig's manufacture, and making it a particularly early map-decorated example by the Kirkpatricks. The reference to "Crockery" adds to the rarity and appeal of this work. L 8 1/2".

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Form and Size. Extremely Rare Miniature Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Gemel, Stamped Twice "NEW-HAVEN," Absalom Stedman or Stedman & Seymour, New Haven, CT, circa 1830. Provenance: Skinner, Inc., Personal Collection of Lewis Scranton, May 21, 2016, Lot 94. H 3 1/8".

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Pennsylvania Pig. Extremely Rare Tanware Pig Flask with Folky Albany and Kaolin Slip Decoration, attributed to the Hissong Pottery, Cassville, Huntingdon County, PA, circa 1885. The distinctive use of matte white slip decoration over Albany slip connects this work to a number of pieces produced by Elisha B. Hissong and his sons, Bruce and Russell, at their long-lived pottery in Cassville, PA. A tanware pitcher bearing the same half-white/half-brown dipped slip decoration along with Cassville-style floral decoration was sold by Crocker Farm in July 17, 2004 (lot 172). This form is considered exceedingly rare in the production of Pennsylvania tanware, with only one other example that we are aware of, an elaborately-decorated pig fashioned as a bank and produced in the Greensboro/New Geneva tradition. L 7 1/4".

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Day & Ross. Outstanding Ten-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Stamped "J. HAMILTON" and Incised "J. Hamilton" on Underside, Greensboro, PA origin, circa 1860. One of a few surviving pieces that were specially-made by James Hamilton for the firm of Day & Ross. Featuring a desirable large size, strong color, artistic brushwork, and the hand-incised signature of the potter himself, this jar as among the most important Greensboro, Pennsylvania stoneware objects to come to auction in recent years. Literature: For a related work, see Schaltenbrand, Stoneware of Southwestern Pennsylvania, p. 122. H 19 1/2".

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Top-to-Bottom Brushwork. Outstanding Six-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Profuse Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Shinnston, WV origin, circa 1875. This jar is among the most heavily-decorated pieces from this potting tradition known. The distinctive style of vining verify a Shinnston, West Virginia attribution. H 16 1/2".

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Exceptional Lidded Redware Jar with Sponged Manganese Decoration, Jar and Lid Stamped "I. BELL," John Bell, Waynesboro, PA, circa 1840. This elegantly-potted jar includes its original lid, both of which survive in excellent condition and bear an early-period John Bell maker's mark. H (including lid) 8 3/4".

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Slipware of Exceptional Size. Extremely Rare Miniature Redware Bowl with Three-Color Slip Decoration, attributed to Henry Adam, Hagerstown, MD, circa 1805-1819. Literature: For a related example, see Manger, Pottery from the Shenandoah and Cumberland Valleys, p. 13 and back cover. Diam. 3 1/2" ; H 3/4".

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Rare Small-Sized Redware Bowl with Three-Color Slip Decoration, Hagerstown, MD, possibly Adam Family, early 19th century. The scalloped pattern on the bowl can be found on other examples attributed to the Adam family, made during their tenure in Hagerstown, MD and later in New Market, VA. H 2 1/8" ; Diam. 8 1/4".

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Size, Form, and Decoration. Monumental Ten-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Profuse Cobalt Clover, Chainlink, and Wheelbarrow Decorations, Baltimore, MD origin, circa 1840. Featuring an imposing size and unusual double-handled form, this jar is among the most heavily-decorated examples of Baltimore clover-decorated stoneware known. Putting this work in a class unto itself is the addition of wheelbarrow motifs flanking the plants, images which speak to the vessel’s use in an agrarian context on a Virginia farm. While the vessel’s exact purpose is unknown, its special size may relate it to the large "plantation jars" produced in alkaline-glazed ware further South. Provenance: Originally owned by the Coons Family, North Cliff Farm, Culpeper, VA; later owned by a Charlottesville, VA lady; Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates Auctions, Nov. 14, 2009, lot 20. H 19".

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Important Southern Honey Jar. Outstanding Glazed Redware Honey Jar with Profuse Manganese Cornstalk Decoration, TN origin, second or third quarter 19th century. Related in form to stoneware examples from Middle Tennessee, this jar features a decoration-in-the-round of delicately-brushed cornstalks emanating from a stylized ground. It ranks among the most imaginatively-decorated examples from the region that we have seen. Provenance: Previously found in a barn Northwest of Nashville, TN.

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Rustic Art Pottery. Extremely Rare Salt-Glazed Stoneware Hanging Flowerpot, attributed to David Greenland Thompson, Morgantown, WV, circa 1885. Featuring a wheel-thrown form, painstakingly decorated with dozens of various molded pine cones, this highly-decorative work relates to America's burgeoning art pottery movement. Three applied clay loops on the interior rim, each also embellished with small pinecones, were applied to allow the flowerpot to be hung by a chain. An original drain hole is formed in the underside. Literature: For related works, see Duez and Horvath with Heindl, "The Stoneware Years of the Thompson Potters of Morgantown, West Virginia, 1854-1890," Ceramics in America 2011, fig. 59. According to this article, such objects were only made by David Greenland Thompson as gifts for family members and townspeople. H 8 1/2" ; Diam. 11 1/2".

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Scarce Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Swan Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA," circa 1865.

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Rare Four-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "MORGANTOWN," Thompson Pottery, Morgantown, WV, circa 1860. The jar's reverse is impressed with a very rare Thompson Pottery maker's mark, which reads simply, "MORGANTOWN," along with a Thompson Pottery capacity mark above. A noteworthy example of the Thompson family's work, featuring a scarce and extravagant design related to early Western Pennsylvania motifs from Beaver and Greensboro, appealing molded handles, and an elusive maker's stamp. This jar is the first example that we have offered bearing this specific mark.

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Selection of Western PA Tanware, New Geneva or Greensboro, PA origin, circa 1885. (Huntingdon County pig also pictured.)

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Fine Redware Charger with Dramatic Copper Slip Decoration, PA origin, possibly Philadelphia, early 19th century. PROVENANCE: From the estate of the consignor's great aunt, who lived on Route 23 in rural Spring City, PA. The home had been built by the consignor's great-grandfather about 1880, and was occupied by the family until 1976. Diameter 13 1/2".

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Rare Large-Sized Redware Presentation Pipe Bowl with Applied Eagle's Talons, Incised "E.W.N. / June 21 / 1872 / C S," probably PA origin, 1872. L 4 1/2" ; Diam. (at top) 2 7/8" ; H 4 1/2".

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Among the Earliest Examples of Southern Advertising Stoneware. Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jug with Petersburg, VA Advertising, Incised "Myrick & Murt / Pebg," attributed to Thomas Amoss, Henrico County, VA, circa 1820. The advertising clearly refers to a (probably short-lived) partnership involving Petersburg merchant, John Myrick, whose shop was located on Old Street, along with the as-yet-unidentified Mr. Murt.

Based on the jug's distinctive decoration and early-style form, it is attributed to Thomas Amoss, possibly while working at the Richard Randolph Stoneware Manufactory along Four Mile Creek in Henrico County, VA. As Amoss died in 1822, this object may be regarded as one of the earliest examples of advertising pottery produced by a Southern maker. A true document in clay, both aesthetically-appealing and historically significant, foretelling the rise of inscribed advertising on American stoneware as decades progressed.

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Earliest Mark. Very Rare Half-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "B.C. MILBURN / ALEXANDRIA, D.C.," circa 1840. Few examples are known bearing Benedict C. Milburn's earliest impressed maker's mark. The stamp incorporates a full spelling of the city name, "Alexandria," followed by the initials, "D.C.," indicating its use prior to Alexandria's retrocession to the state of Virginia.

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Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Tulip Decoration, Dated 1863, Stamped "JOHN BELL / WAYNESBORO'," PA origin, 1863.

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Exceptional Six-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, Palatine, WV origin, circa 1875. H 14 1/8".

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Very Rare Large-Sized Stoneware Canning Jar with Stenciled Cobalt Star Decoration, Stenciled "NESTORVILLE, W.VA. / POTTERY," circa 1880. H 10 7/8".

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Very Rare Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Face Jug, Stamped "O. Henry Pottery," Evan Javan Brown, Sr., Valdese, NC, circa 1937-1951. The "O. Henry Pottery" maker's mark was used by potter Evan Javan Brown, Sr. (1897-1980) at his Valdese, NC operation. The pottery was actually named after the pen name of North Carolina author, William Sydney Porter. The "O. Henry Pottery" stamp has been documented on only a small number of face jugs, making it among the rarest maker's marks to find on a face vessel by any member of the illustrious Brown family of potters. Literature: For a related example, see George H. Meyer and Kay White Meyer, Early American Face Jugs, Sandringham Press, Bloomfield Hills MI, 2019, p. 116. H 6 1/2".

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Important Early Maker's Mark. Exceedingly Rare One-Gallon Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jug, Stamped "B. GREEN," Branch Green, probably Troy, NY, circa 1799-1803.

Green was among the most influential potters in the Northeastern U.S. during the first quarter of the 19th century, helping establish successful stoneware manufactories outside of the venerable Manhattan school. He left his potting footprint in a number of cities, working in Troy, NY; Old Bridge, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; and Wilmington, DE. He is most well-known for his coggle-decorated pieces bearing bird-and-leaf and fish-and-berry motifs, produced at his long-lived Philadelphia shop. This jug, bearing a different form and color than Green's Philadelphia products, was likely made at his earliest-documented potting site in Troy, NY. In a May 1799 issue of the Troy Northern Budget, Green appears advertising for two journeyman potters; in a February 1801 issue of the same publication, Green and a second potter, Rowland Clark, advertise again for pinewood, journeymen and apprentices, as superintendents of "Morgan & Smiths Stone Ware Factory, at the South-East Part of the Village of Troy." Despite later published information that the name "Morgan" refers to Green's later business partner in New Jersey, James Morgan, no evidence has been found to substantiate this claim. In November 1802, Branch Green appears again in the Troy Gazette under his own name, advertising for two journeyman potters, whose "work will be confined to turning stone ware." Green appears to have remained in Troy at least until May 1803, when he again advertised in the Gazette notifying the town that his wife had left him. The first reference to Green at a new location is a June 1805 advertisement for his involvement with the firm of James Morgan & Co. in Old Bridge, New Jersey. This jug is the first signed example of Branch Green stoneware that we have ever offered, and represents a highly important object in terms of Green's influence on the American stoneware craft as a whole, and the Albany area craft specifically.

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Rare Redware Bowl with Profuse Slip Decoration, Dated "1834," New England origin, 1834. Provenance: Recently found in the North Shore area of MA. H 3" ; Diam. 11 3/8".

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Fine Glazed Redware Jar with Copper Slip Decoration, attributed to Nathaniel Seymour, West Hartford, CT, late 18th or early 19th century. H 8 1/4".

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Anna Icon. Exceptional Anna Pottery Presentation Stoneware "Shoo Fly" Flask in Original Polychrome-Painted Surface, Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, Dated 1884.

This newly-discovered Anna "Shoo Fly" flask is notable for a number of reasons, and it is among the finest of the form that we have seen. Potted in an extremely rare flask form (one of two we have ever offered, as opposed to the more common jug form), the vessel's wonderful patriotic red, white and blue paint and exquisite modeling of the woman (down to subtle incised details to her fingernails) is among the best known. Additionally, this is the only example of its kind that we have seen featuring the words, "Don't Bodder me," in the place of the usual slogan, "The Original Package." This lyric (which appears near one of the applied molded flies) comes from T. Brigham Bishops' 1869 song, "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me." And finally, this is the only "presentation" shoo fly vessel that we are aware, as it features a unique inscription by the Kirkpatricks for the person it was made for, in the same vein as their famous pig bottles: "S.J. Heath. / I.C.R.R. / Chicago-Centralia / 1884." As with their pigs, conductor pitchers, and various other decorative forms, Wallace and Cornwall have made this piece for an Illinois railroad worker, presumably someone that they were very familiar with. Among the most significant discoveries in the field of Anna Pottery of the past several years. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which descended in an Illinois family.

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Bennington Beauty. Exceptional Five-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Deer Scene, Stamped "J. NORTON & CO. / BENNINGTON, VT," circa 1860. The finest Norton deer-decorated crock that we have ever offered, featuring exceptional size, detail, and color to the design as well as a large capacity to the vessel.

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Form, Maker, and Decoration. Outstanding Six-Gallon Stoneware Pedestal-Base Water Cooler, Stamped "J. HAMILTON / BEAVER," PA origin, circa 1850. Featuring an over-the-top form, large size, and a wonderful decoration closely-related to Hamilton's Greensboro designs, this cooler is among the finest examples of Beaver, Pennsylvania stoneware known. Provenance: A recently-discovered example, which descended in Nashville, TN family.

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Folk Art Form. Outstanding Glazed Redware Face Jug, Ontario, Canada origin, circa 1880. The glaze treatment on this object is among the more sophisticated that we have seen in North American redware, reminiscent of a style employed by Pennsylvania master potter, John Bell. The vessel's applied face creates an important work of folk expression, which transcends the ceramic medium. This jug is among the finest example of Canadian redware to come to auction in years, and among the most brilliantly-glazed North American face vessels that we are aware of.

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Best Blue. Exceptional Eight-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "WHITE & WOOD / BINGHAMTON, N.Y.," circa 1885. With exceptional size and detail to the decoration, this churn ranks among the finest examples of Utica stoneware from this period that we have ever offered.

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Outstanding Stoneware Vase with Profuse Cobalt Decoration, Northeastern U.S. origin, second half 19th century. Among the most heavily-decorated examples of 19th century American stoneware known.

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Superior Slip. Exceptional Slip-Decorated Redware Plate, English, 18th or 19th century. A striking example, the most heavily-decorated antique piece of slipware that we have ever offered. Diam. 7 3/8".

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Colonial Period Stoneware. Extremely Rare and Important Vertical-Handled Stoneware Sugar Bowl with Cobalt Watchspring and Floral Motif, Manhattan, NY origin, second or third quarter 18th century. H 3 3/8" ; Diam. 4 7/8".

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Extremely Rare and Important One-and-a-Half-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "H. REMMEY / BALTIMORE," Henry Remmey, Sr., Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1818. This pitcher is one of less than twenty signed examples of Baltimore products by Henry Remmey, Sr.--a former Manhattan potter who, through his transformation of the Baltimore stoneware craft in the 1810's, is perhaps the most important in the history of Mid-Atlantic stoneware production as a whole. With exceptional color, form, and condition, this pitcher is certainly one of the most important examples of Baltimore stoneware to be offered anywhere recently.

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Antebellum Alabama Jar. Rare and Important Four-Gallon Open-Handled Stoneware Jar with Alkaline Glaze, Stamped "J S 1846," James Pinckney Shepherd, Rock Mills, Randolph County, AL, 1846. Featuring a wonderful tactile glaze, excellent form, and a rare, early-period maker's mark from the Rock Mills school, this jar is the finest Alabama stoneware jar that we have ever offered. The jar's impressed date also defines it as one of the earliest dated pieces of Alabama stoneware known. Among the most comparable published pieces by date is a lime-glazed jar of related form, bearing the stamp, "MF," and the brown-slip date, "1859," in the collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art and illustrated in the color plates of Brackner's Folk Pottery of Alabama.

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Outstanding Four-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Bold Cobalt Stripe Decoration, Greensboro, PA origin, attributed to William Leet Hamilton, circa 1860. The rare vertically-oriented design on this jar carries strong folk art appeal, with a flowing effect reminiscent of cascading water, and bears particularly striking color.

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Very Rare Four-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt Eagle-and-Banner Motif, Stamped "NEW YORK / STONEWARE CO. / FORT EDWARD, N.Y.," circa 1875. While similar motifs were produced with some regularity in West Troy, NY, this design is exceptionally rare in the Fort Edward stoneware tradition. A fine example from one of the state's most important potting centers.

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Very Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Man's Profile, Stamped "FORT EDWARD / POTTERY CO.," NY State origin, George Satterlee, Fort Edward, NY, circa 1859. A strong folk art representation of the human form, executed in bold cobalt against a light clay ground.

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Very Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Incised Bird Decoration, Stamped "J. WELLS / NORTHAMPTON," attributed to Thomas Crafts & Co., Whately, MA, circa 1832-1834. John Wells was a merchant operating in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, less than ten miles from Crafts' shop. Research indicates that Wells was a sole proprietor of his business for only the brief period of 1832 to 1834. However, it is possible that Crafts may have made this jug as a presentation piece for Wells, rather than as an item for Wells to sell in his shop, as its incised bird motif appears too fine for merchant's ware. Coupled with its appealing design and highly unusual mark is a desirable small size to the vessel.

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Miller Profile. Very Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Decoration of a Man's Profile, Stamped "M. & T. MILLER / NEWPORT, PA," circa 1870. This motif is believed to be a portrait of the potter-brothers, Michael or Theophilus Miller, and is the most iconic design known from this highly-prized Central Pennsylvania manufactory. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in New England.

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Scarce Three-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Bird-on-Branch Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA," circa 1865. Among the better bird designs that we have offered by this iconic Central Pennsylvania pottery.

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Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Heart Decoration, attributed to the Pfaltzgraff Pottery, York, PA, circa 1870. Among the finest examples of Pfaltzgraff stoneware that we have offered in recent years.

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Extremely Rare Four-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Incised Bird Decoration, attributed to John Floyd, Knox County, TN or OH origin, circa 1840-1860. The incised bird design on this churn matches that found on a water cooler dated "1842" and attributed to Floyd at the Graves Pottery of Knox County, TN, exhibited beside a second, signed John Floyd cooler at "Tennessee Turned: Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee, circa 1800-1900," held at the Museum of East Tennessee History in 2011. Floyd was an itinerant potter who worked in both Tennessee and Ohio. As this churn is not dated, it is difficult to determine which state it was made in.

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Scarce Large-Sized Great Road Redware Jar, Southwestern VA or Eastern TN origin, mid 19th century. Stately form and impressive large size, measuring approximately four gallons.

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Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Hymnal Jar, Ohio origin, early to mid 19th century. incised around the midsection with the script inscription, "Come ye sinners Poor and need[y] weak and woundeded (sic) sick and sore Jeses (sic) redy (sic) stand to save you full of pity love and power he is abel (sic) he is willing doubt no more." These words, incised while the pot was turned over, are taken from the 1759 hymn, "Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy," by Joseph Hart, which references the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 28-30.

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Extremely Rare Four-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt "Ghost " and Bird-in-Tree Decorations, Stamped "FORT EDWARD STONEWARE CO. / FORT EDWARD, N.Y.," A.K. Haxstun & Co, Fort Edward, NY, circa 1875-1882. Decorated with an imaginative slip-trailed design of a tree with two birds and the profile of a walking man or ghost created within the negative space of the tree's trunk. This jug is the only example of Fort Edward stoneware that we have seen bearing this design.

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Very Rare Three-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt Pointing Hand Decoration, Stamped "WEST TROY / N.Y. / POTTERY," NY State origin, circa 1875 An interesting folk art image, displaying an exceptional contrast of bold cobalt against a light clay ground. Old pencil inscriptions on underside read, "I bought this Jar before I was married in 1885. / 12 Lbs / I bought this jar before I was married in the year 1885 / (?) / Jacob Sa(?)"

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Rare and Very Fine One-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Stenciled and Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Stenciled "A. CONRAD / NEW GENEVA. / FAYETTE CO. PA," circa 1875. Among the best Alexander Conrad pitchers that we have seen.

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Rare and Fine Stoneware Canning Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Decoration, Stenciled "BOYERS & HARDEN / PALATINE / W.VA," circa 1875.

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Scarce and Fine Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Stenciled Cobalt Star Decoration, Stenciled "Hamilton & Jones / Greensboro.," PA origin, circa 1870. A finely-decorated example featuring the region's desirable star motif and unusual diagonal maker's mark.

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Very Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Canning Jar, Inscribed "Hamilton," Greensboro, PA origin, circa 1875. The cobalt inscription indicates this piece was made and/or decorated by or for a member of one of the Hamilton families of Greensboro, Pennsylvania potters. Western Pennsylvania stoneware canning jars with hand-inscribed names of any sort (either those of pottery workers and owners, or the names of people for whom the pieces were made) are considered highly unusual.

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Extremely Rare Half-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Decoration, Inscribed "B" on Underside, Alexandria, VA origin, possibly by the African-American potters Mordecai or William Bennett at the Wilkes Street Pottery, circa 1820. The form, color, and decoration of this jar are consistent with pieces produced during John Swann's venture into cobalt-decorated stoneware production, circa 1820 at Alexandria, Virginia's Wilkes Street Pottery. Other Wilkes Street stoneware pieces from the 1820 to 1835 time period with incised letters have survived, including a number inscribed "D" for free black potter, David Jarbour. A marked "HUGH SMITH & CO" jar, bearing an impressed "T" and attributed to another free black potter, Thomas Valentine, was sold in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s July 20, 2019 auction (lot 129). The "B" on this jar possibly refers to one of two other free black Alexandria potters, Mordecai or William Bennett. (It is worth noting that Jarbour, Valentine and William Bennett all appear in a September 1831 petition of the Alexandria's free black men, decrying the Nat Turner rebellion.) Other pieces bearing an incised "BCM" or "M" for well-known Alexandria potter, Benedict C. Milburn, use a markedly different penmanship, indicating this jar was made by a different hand. Literature: A list of free black potters employed at the Wilkes Street Pottery is presented in the Journal of Early Southern Decoratives Arts, Winter 1995, Volume XXI, Number 2.

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Very Rare Five-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Kaolin Slip Decoration, Signed "G.N. Fulton," George Newman Fulton, Alleghany County, VA, circa 1875. While Fulton's decorations were typically applied in manganese-dioxide or cobalt-oxide slips, this churn features a highly unusual slip decoration executed in kaolin. While the use of white slip decoration is common in American redware and is also observed in the stoneware industry of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, this churn is the first example by Fulton to be documented featuring this type of decoration. Evidently, he was attempting to produce his slip-decorated stoneware in a third color scheme.

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Form and Maker. Exceedingly Rare Shenandoah Valley Redware Plate, Stamped "J.E. SIMONS," Anthony Weis Bacher at Joseph E. Simons Big Hunting Creek Pottery, Mechanicstown (now Thurmont), MD, circa 1881-1883. Revered Shenandoah Valley master potter, Anthony Weis Bacher, was the primary employee at Mechanicstown's Big Hunting Creek Pottery, while it was under the brief ownership of coachmaker, Joseph E. Simons. A small number of surviving pieces in Bacher's style and attributed to his hand bear the elusive "J.E. SIMONS" stamp. Few impressed Simons pieces are known, and only two other examples, an unglazed jar and glazed pitcher, have ever been offered by this auction house. Of particular note is the extreme rarity of this form in Shenandoah Valley redware production. Very few signed redware plates are known from the region, outside of the Bells' shop in Waynesboro, PA. A handful of redware plates have surfaced bearing the marks of Solomon Bell and S. Bell & Sons. To our knowledge, no other plate has been documented bearing a maker's stamp associated with Anthony Bacher. Diam. 9 3/4".

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