Rare Glazed Early-Period Stoneware Face Jug, attrib. Brown Family, Atlanta, GA or Arden, NC, first quarter 20th century

Summer 2023 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 66

Price Realized: $4,500.00

($3,750 hammer, plus 20% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: The American ceramics market frequently changes, often dramatically. Additionally, small nuances of color, condition, shape, etc. can mean huge differences in price. If you're interested in having us sell a similar item for you, please contact us here.

Summer 2023 Auction Catalog

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Rare Glazed Early-Period Stoneware Face Jug, attributed to the Brown Family, Atlanta, GA or Arden, NC, first quarter 20th century, wheel-thrown jug with hand-modeled and applied clay face including eyes with bulging pupils set within oval lids, a sloped nose with impressed nostrils, an open mouth with applied broken-china teeth, and a flattened chin. The sides of the jug are depressed to loosely mimic the structure of the human face. Surface covered in a mottled Albany slip glaze. Among the rarest Brown face jugs that we have offered, this work was produced early in the family's production of this form, before such pieces were signed with any regularity and possibly while the Browns were still active in Atlanta, Georgia. This jug's early manufacture is evidenced by its cruder modeling, the omission of applied ears and eyebrows, and the broader body style of the jug. The crawling to the Albany slip on the jug's shoulder suggests its maker had not yet perfected the application of the glaze, much in the same way that early Lanier Meaders face jugs exhibit imperfect glazing. Provenance: Collection of Michael Hall and Pat Glascock, Hamtramck, MI. Losses to two teeth. Otherwise excellent condition. H 6 3/4".