Fall 2025 Auction Featured Photos

Best in Show. Important and Probably Unique Five-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Cat and Yarn Decoration, Stamped "W.H. FARRAR & CO. / GEDDES.N.Y.," Inscribed "Geddesburg," circa 1850.

An iconic masterwork, well-remembered among stalwart stoneware enthusiasts, this crock bears what is regarded as the finest known depiction of a house cat in 19th century American ceramics. Imaginatively executed with a wonderful folk art aesthetic, the design features bold swathes of brushed cobalt forming the figure's body, forehead and ball, slip-trailing to the face, arms, tail, and surrounding the figure, as well as upswept slip-trailed swags throughout the body. Sgraffito-style incised details to the fur appear throughout the head and neck, additional incising delineates the cat's front legs and toes, and a charming incised spiral fills the center of the ball of yarn. Heavy cobalt brushwork below forms a stylized ground incised with the name, "Geddesburg," proudly touting the name of the town in which the crock was made. A second inscription, reading "16 1/4 (?)," possibly referring to the height of the crock prior to firing, followed by the name, "A. Strever," referring to the person for whom the crock was made, appears in reddish slip on the underside.

Aaron Strever, the vessel's original owner, was a farmer born in 1818 in Ancram, New York, who married Emily Soule about 1848 in Chatham, New York, and died in 1898 in the town of Clay, New York, located in Onondaga County, about twelve miles north of Geddes. The inscription on the underside and extreme rarity of the design indicate the piece was specially-ordered by Strever or made as a gift for him in honor of the family cat. It was later discovered in the Strever home when the property was sold to Stella West in the 1920s, roughly seventy years after it was made. West eventually sold the crock and it was then offered at Denlinger Auctions in Bennington, VT in 1987, after which it has remained unknown to the greater collecting community.

The design's intense visual appeal, created through its multiple decorative techniques, bold color, and imposing size (spanning thirteen inches around the curve of the vessel and ten inches tall), place it among the best representations of an animal in the entire Northeastern stoneware tradition. Provenance: Made at the William H. Farrar pottery for Aaron Strever; Later acquired by Stella West in the 1920s, after purchasing the Strever property; Purchased from Stella West; Denlinger Auctions, Bennington, VT, 1987. H 14".

Pennsylvania Stoneware Masterwork. Highly Important Stoneware Pedestal-Based Presentation Water Cooler with Profuse Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Inscribed "WM. POWERS" and "J.H.," Stamped "J. HAMILTON / BEAVER," PA origin, circa 1845.

Among the most important and decorative examples of Western Pennsylvania stoneware to come to auction in decades, this work presents a young James Hamilton at his very best. The cooler's coveted pedestal-based form is amplified by an over-the-top beverage urn shape, uncharacteristic of the regional style, which showcases Hamilton's artistic abilities. The potter evidently took a level of pride in this work by inscribing his initials boldly on the reverse, a highly unusual treatment. The elaborate fuchsia vine motifs and drape motifs are traits that Hamilton would take with him to Greensboro, Pennsylvania circa 1850 and use for the next twenty-five years, influencing the work of other potters throughout the region.

This cooler's extraordinary form and stunning decoration define it as the finest surviving example of Beaver, Pennsylvania stoneware and a masterwork by one of Western Pennsylvania's most famous and skilled potters. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in the Midwestern U.S. H 19 7/8".

Decoration, Maker, and Size. Exceptional Six-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Game Bird Scene, Stamped "HARRINGTON & BURGER / ROCHESTER," NY State origin, circa 1852-1854. An outstanding work showcasing the artistic talents of John Burger, widely regarded as the leading stoneware decorator of 19th century America, while partnering with another mid-century master, Thompson Harrington. This vessel's resplendent, naturalistic scene is complemented by a large capacity to the vessel, superb color to the clay and cobalt, and good condition. H 14 5/8".

Flower Power. Exceptional Four-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Elaborate Cobalt Sunflower Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX. / HARRISBURG .PA," circa 1865. A combination of desirable factors, including the decorative quality of the design, rare slip-trailed treatment, large size of the vessel, and color of the jug, produce one of the finer Cowden & Wilcox floral-decorated pieces that we have ever offered. Provenance: Recently found in a Northumberland County, PA home. H 18".

Decoration, Condition, and Provenance. Very Rare Sgraffito-Decorated Redware Plate with Exuberant Flowering Urn Motif, Dated "Mar 27 1830," attributed to John Monday, Haycock Township, Bucks County, PA, 1830.

This work features classic Pennsylvania German design elements connecting it to Bucks County potter, John Monday, as well as Conrad Mumbauer, the man who likely taught him the potter's trade. It is set apart from the vast majority of Pennsylvania German sgraffitoware by its extraordinary condition, with only small chips and wear to edge and a few tiny glaze flakes to interior. Diameter 10 3/4".

Provenance: Philip Cowan, Phoenixville, PA, 1968; Ralph Esmerian Collection; Visual Grace: Important American Folk Art from the Collection of Ralph O. Esmerian, Sotheby's New York, NY, January 25, 2014, lot 506. Literature: Illustrated in Hollander, American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 147, discussed on p. 445 with the following passage:

John Monday, one of a close-knit group of potters working in Haycock Township during the first half of the nineteenth century, is thought to have apprenticed with Conrad Mumbouer (or Mumbower), who had established a pottery in the region by 1793. Monday married Mumbouer's daughter Phebe in 1834 and took over the full operation of Mumbouer's pottery in 1845. Because of this close relationship and the similar techniques and decorative styles shared by the two potters, their surviving works are quite similar and often hard to distinguish. Few documented, signed examples by either artist are currently known.

This plate is attributed to Monday based upon the similarity of several aspects of the pattern design and execution of its sgraffito decoration to one signed example in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Each features a thick, opaque white slip ground, which was removed in areas, such as the panels of the pinwheel devices, stylized tulips, and urn, to reveal the red clay body underneath, The carving tool consistently left 1/8-inch wide, flat, shallow blade scars in the clay which are visible through the clear lead glaze. Monday also seems to have used a thinly edged coggle wheel to score in the slightly scalloped, segmented lines forming the stems and outlines of flowers. The stems of these flower designs also incorporate a slight, hollow swell near the flower blossom. The form of tulip seen on this example, with long, thinly carved petals of two different lengths and coggled outlines enclosing a green center with an elongated, feathered stamen, is also characteristic of his sgraffito patterns. A number of other potters and apprentices worked with Monday in the pottery, including both his sons, Edmund and David, and German immigrant potters Mathias Myer and Charles Moritz. Consequently, we may never truly know the specific primary hands involved in the making of individual examples, even when they bear the signature of the master potter. –J.L.L.

Decoration, Form, and Condition. Extremely Rare Octagonal Redware Dish with Profuse Two-Color Slip Decoration, PA origin, probably Berks County, 19th century.

Outside of a commonly-produced form by the Bell family, octagonal dishes are extremely rare in 19th century American redware production. Besides a number of these Bell examples, we have previously offered only one octagonal redware dish in over twenty years in operation, a miniature yellow-slip-decorated example sold as lot 262 in our Summer 2021 auction. A significant example of Pennsylvania slipware, the work offered in our Fall 2025 auction is made extraordinary through its combination of an elusive form, over-the-top decoration, and immaculate condition. Among the finest American redware dishes to come to auction in recent years. Diam. 9 3/4".

Edgefield Discovery. Exceedingly Rare and Important Five-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar, Dated "aug 3d 1836," attributed to Harry at Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory, Edgefield, SC origin, 1836.

This recently-attributed jar survives as one of only three inscribed pieces known by the potter, Harry, an enslaved African-American craftsman at Pottersville. One jar measuring fifteen gallons and inscribed, "Harry / July 38(?)," is illustrated in Toussaint, "Edgefield District Stoneware: The Potter's Legacy," Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Vol. 42-43, 2021-2022. A second, inscribed "Harry," measures four gallons and was sold in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s Spring 2021 auction, lot 53. All three are inscribed in the same distinctive hand. Harry is remarkably well-documented in the historical record as a "turner" at the prolific Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory founded circa 1815 by Abner Landrum. As the founding stoneware shop of the Edgefield pottery tradition and the one credited with introducing alkaline glaze to the United States, it is difficult to overstate its importance to the development of America's ceramic craft as a whole. Pottersville is meanwhile the shop that began the career of Dave, whose name appears in an 1818 mortgage associated with the manufactory in a manner similar to the pictured documents referencing Harry.

Harry first appears in a January 1839 indenture between well-known Edgefield potter Collin Rhodes and John H. Hughes, a man who took over Rhodes' share of an interest in Pottersville. This document references both an "old Harry" and a "young Harry" associated with the operation; whether the "Harry" of this jar is the older or younger Harry is up to speculation, but documents soon show a single Harry working as a key potter at Pottersville: August 1839 and May 1840 references to Harry appear in the ledger of the aforementioned Hughes and Nathaniel Ramey, partners in the Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory as well as a local general merchant concern. In November 1840, James W. Gibbs sold Jasper Gibbs three-fourths of his ownership of Harry, along with other shares of Pottersville property, the pair also being partners in the shop at that time. A March 1842 mortgage again references Harry in association with the Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory; as in previous documents, it identifies other enslaved workers at the pottery, in this case Abram and Daniel (fellow turners with Harry) and "old Tom" (a wagoner). A notice in the Edgefield Advertiser dated February 21, 1843 is the last identifiable reference in the historical record to Harry. In it, Jasper Gibbs & Co. announced that the firm would be selling at auction "our entire Pottersville property ... consisting of four Negroes, viz. three Turners and one Wagoner" along with a "stock of Stone Ware" and other property. (The Pottersville shop was acquired by future Governor of South Carolina Francis W. Pickens sometime circa 1844-1850 under whose ownership, according to Cinda K. Baldwin's Great & Noble Jar, "the operation evidently declined.")

The jar offered in this auction expands our understanding of an important figure in the story of Edgefield stoneware, building on a small but growing body of this potter's work and helping to identify his own distinctive style. This example displays what can be dubbed Harry traits in its flattened rim and handles. It also showcases his high level of proficiency as a potter in its thin-walled construction and stately, swell-bodied form, including an impressive circumference of 46 1/2 inches. Of interesting note, the jar was produced the same year as David Drake's iconic "Catination" jar. According to Goldberg and Witkowski's Ceramics in America 2012 article, "Beneath His Magic Touch: The Dated Vessels of the African-American Slave Potter Dave," the year, 1836, saw possible growth in the number of dated vessels Drake was producing; eight are documented as of the writing of the article, two of which included poems. Perhaps Harry's jar is further evidence of some sort of change at Pottersville during this year or emblematic of artistic influence between these two potters. At any rate, the discovery of a third Harry jar with incised inscription suggests that he may have actually inscribed his work with some frequency, and further highlights that Drake was not unique in this regard. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 15" ; Diam. (at rim) 10" ; Circum. 46 1/2".

Drake Drawings. Exceedingly Rare and Important Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar with Incised Human Figures and Moon, attributed to David Drake at Lewis Miles's Stony Bluff Manufactory, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1855-1860.

Extremely rare in form for Drake's work, this small-sized jar highlights the artist's interest in expression outside of clay, glaze, and the written word. Leonard Todd describes this very jar ("a vase-like pot") in his book, Carolina Clay, in the following passage: "Two other drawings, which I have not seen, are on unsigned, undated vessels in the style of Dave: A jug in Georgia is incised with the figure of a man; a vase-like pot, also in Georgia, bears the stylized representation of a man, a woman, and what appears to be a full moon" (Todd, p. 252). The jar's Stony Bluff glaze and distinctive X-shaped legs on one figure, matching those seen on a signed David Drake horse and rider jug, lead to a firm attribution to this iconic Southern maker. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. Literature: Discussed in Todd, Carolina Clay, p. 252. H 6 3/4".

Rare and Fine Five-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar with "B" Stamp and Incised Punctates, Pottersville Pottery, Edgefield District, SC, possibly David Drake, circa 1820s. Impressed at shoulder with unusual sideways "B" stamp along with five punctates denoting five gallons. Nuances of this jar's construction suggest it may be an early product of enslaved potter, David Drake. A gracefully-potted example likely created during the first several years of production at Abner Landrum's Pottersville pottery. Literature: A jar with seven B stamps, dated "July the 30th 1822," and a jug with four B stamps are illustrated in Hunter and Heubach, "Visualizing the Stoneware Potteries of William Rogers of Yorktown and Abner Landrum of Pottersville," Ceramics in America 2019, figs. 16 and 17. H 14".

Fine Twelve-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Profuse Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Greensboro, PA origin, circa 1870. H 20 1/2".

Exceptional Five-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Stenciled "EXCELSIOR WORKS / Isaac Hewitt, Jr. / RICES LANDING, PA.," circa 1875. Featuring outstanding top-to-bottom freehand and stenciled decoration, this jar is among the finest examples of Hewitt's work that we have offered. H 15 3/4".

Very Rare Three-Gallon Jar with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Inscribed "Jacob J. Swank / August 18 / yer(sic) 1878," Stamped "J. SWANK & CO. / JOHNSTOWN, PA," 1878. H 12 7/8".

Rare Eight-Gallon Stoneware Political Jar with Cobalt Inscription, "Sam Scott / Harrisson(sic) & Pro / Tection," OH origin, circa 1890. This jar references the 23rd U.S. President, Benjamin Harrison, who served from 1889 to 1893, and his staunch support of protective tariffs, designed to benefit domestic manufacturers and workers. Among these was the McKinley Tariff, framed by then-Representative, William McKinely, which became law on October 1, 1890. H 17".

Exceptional Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Exuberant Cobalt Bird Decoration, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON, / BENNINGTON VT," circa 1855.

The scrolled vining and wing and tail treatments of the bird can be observed on a small number of outstanding J. & E. Norton products with avian designs, including an important six-gallon crock with Federal eagle motif, inscribed "USA." Other related bird motifs can be found on pieces from the potteries of William E. Warner in West Troy, New York and Martin Crafts of Boston, Massachusetts. The decorator is likely New York State potter, James Reilly, known for his Lansinburgh, New York maker's mark, who worked for other Northeastern potteries including the Nortons in Bennington. Relatively few of these Reilly-type birds are known; this example features good color, excellent coverage of the design over the vessel's front, and the appealing addition of a vine in the bird's beak.

Among the most unusual Norton bird-decorated pieces that we have ever offered, one that diverges dramatically from the Hilfinger motifs typical to this pottery. H 14 1/2".

Rare Four-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt Pitcher Decoration, Dated 1890, NY State origin, 1890. H 11 3/8".

Scarce Five-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt House Decoration, Stamped "A.O. WHITTEMORE. / HAVANA. N.Y," circa 1870. Provenance: James Chebalo Collection. H 11 5/8".

Outstanding Five-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Bird and Floral Decoration, Stamped "HAXSTUN & CO. / FORT EDWARD, N.Y.," circa 1875. Provenance: William Bouck Collection. H 12 1/2".

Rare One-and-a-Half-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Rooster Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT," circa 1855. H 11".

Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Swan on Nest Decoration, Stamped "JULIUS NORTON / BENNINGTON VT," circa 1845. H 14 1/4".

Very Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Pheasant on Branch Decoration, Stamped "J. NORTON & CO. / BENNINGTON VT," circa 1860. The design on this jug is highly unusual as it features a pheasant instead of the typical songbird perched on the branch. H 14".

Form, Decoration, and Maker. Extremely Rare Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Bowl with Elaborate Iron Slip Decoration, Stamped "TRAPP & / CHANDLER," Reverend John Trapp and Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1848-1850. Featuring an exceptional form, outstanding decoration and color, and rare stamp, this work is the finest example of stoneware bearing a Chandler maker's mark that we have ever offered. Attesting to the rarity of its form, this lot is the first signed Edgefield bowl that we have ever offered. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. Diam. 13 7/8" ; H 5 1/2".

Rare Stoneware Jug with Two-Color Slip Decoration, Incised "X," attributed to the Collin Rhodes Pottery, Shaw's Creek, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Featuring slip-trailed kaolin slip floral decoration and brushed iron slip highlights to the handle terminals, this jug includes an unusual incised "X" at shoulder, a hallmark mostly commonly associated with David Drake, although this work is not by his hand. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 11".

Rare Small-Sized Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Clabber Bowl with Iron Slip Decoration, attributed to Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 5 3/8" ; Diam. 7 1/4".

Fine Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Handled Jar with Kaolin Slip Decoration, attributed to Collin Rhodes, Shaw's Creek, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 7 1/4".

Rare and Fine Small-Sized Stoneware Jug with Alkaline Glaze, Impressed "U," attributed to Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1820-1840. The smallest jug from Pottersville that we have ever offered, this work features striking glaze treatment synonymous with this site. Impressed with a "U" at the base, this lot includes a hand-incised marking in the form of a large inverted V with one forked end, possibly a second hallmark. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 6 7/8".

Large-Sized Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware with Iron-Slip Floral Decoration, attributed to Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 16".

Scarce Alkaline-Glazed Handled Stoneware Jar, Stamped "W.F. HAHN / TRENTON / SC," late 19th century. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 10 1/2".

Columbia, SC Masterwork. Extremely Rare and Important Eight-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Dramatic Two-Color Alkaline Glaze, Inscribed "From / W / Reilly / Columbia / S.C.," attributed to Landrum Brick and Pottery, Columbia, SC, circa 1860.

A number of South Carolina advertising pieces are known bearing kaolin slip inscriptions over a brown ground, produced circa 1850 by Collin Rhodes at his pottery on Shaw's Creek in the state's Edgefield District. This jar, however, is the only example of Columbia-made slip-inscribed stoneware that we are aware of. "W. Reilly" must refer to local grocer William L. Reilly, whose store at 250 Main Street he advertised in the 1859 Columbia City Directory as having "EVERY DESCRIPTION OF GOODS, INCIDENT OR PERTAINING TO THE Grocery Business [and] ample facilities for the Sale ... of consignments, such as Cotton, Corn Flour, &c., &c."

Combining both rarity and decorative appeal, this work's significance is enhanced by its unusually large size and sophisticated, modernist glaze treatment. H 18 1/2".

Rare Breed. Extremely Rare Lead-and-Manganese-Glazed Redware Figure of a Whippet, Stamped "JOHN W. BELL / Waynesboro, Pa.," late 19th century.

One of only two known whippets marked by John Bell's son, John William Bell, this work combines an iconic Bell figural form with striking glaze in the style of the family's Waynesboro shop. The first example of its kind to surface was sold in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s May 21, 2005 auction, lot 1, and set a then-record price for Bell family pottery at auction, bring $41,800. Attesting to the rarity of this work, no signed John W. Bell whippets are pictured or mentioned in Rice and Stoudt's The Shenandoah Pottery, Wiltshire's Folk Pottery of the Shenandoah Valley, Comstock's The Pottery of the Shenandoah Valley Region, or in the Bell and Sons Exhibit Catalogue, which features Bell pottery items from Waynesboro displayed by the Nicodemus Center for Ceramic Studies in 1997. Its glazed surface compounds both its scarcity and visual appeal, as the vast majority of Bell whippets were painted in solid colors after the firing at the pottery.

Provenance: Recently surfaced in the Waynesboro, PA area. A significant new discovery by one of America's most famous potting families. L 10" ; W 4" ; H 6 7/8".

Fine Shenandoah Valley Multi-Glazed Redware Wall Pocket, attributed to J. Eberly & Co., Strasburg, VA, circa 1890. While the Strasburg wall pocket form is typically found with moderate to significant damage, this example survives in strong condition for its type. Provenance: Recently surfaced in PA. H 7".

Rare Glazed Pottery Pitcher with Relief Cherub Pattern, Stamped "JOHN BELL / WAYNESBORO'," PA origin, circa 1850-1880. H 10".

Rare Pair of Black-Glazed Redware Vases, Stamped "JOHN BELL," Waynesboro, PA, circa 1880. A fine lot exhibiting a rarely-seen modernistic approach to Bell's work in both glaze and form, likely influenced by the rising American Art Pottery Movement. H (of taller) 9".

Fine and Scarce Half-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "JOHN BELL / WAYNESBORO'," PA origin, circa 1850-1880. H 8 3/4".

Very Rare One-and-a-Half-Gallon Stoneware Bowl with Cobalt Man-in-the-Moon Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA," circa 1865. Provenance: James Chebalo Collection. Diam. 11 3/8" ; H 5 1/2".

Fine Two-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG .PA," circa 1865. H 12".

Extremely Rare Slip-Decorated Redware Ale Mug, Stamped "S. H. WAY., EOLA, OGN.," Solomon Hiatt Way, Eloa, Polk County, Oregon, origin, circa 1860's. Height 5 3/4".

The first example of redware made on the West Coast of the United States that we have ever offered, this beautifully-decorated work showcases Way's proficiency in slip application. It also stands as a document of the transmission of American utilitarian pottery styles across vast distances, in this case from one coast to the other.

Born in the early 19th century in Guilford County, North Carolina, but moving in infancy with his family to the Midwest, it is likely that Way (1809-1885) was heavily influenced by the Quaker potting tradition of Guilford County. A Quaker himself, this tradition was the same that gave birth to such highly regarded potters as Henry and Silas Watkins--redware makers whose work also featured distinctive deep red hues and marked use of sine wave-shaped tooling.

The fact that these skills were brought over the infamous Oregon Trail only augments the great story behind this exceedingly rare object. A family history of Way, taken with period documents, demonstrates that he and his family made the arduous journey over that trail sometime in the 1850's, having spent decades in Ohio, Indiana and Iowa. He appears in the 1860 federal census in Douglas County, Oregon; he must have moved to Eloa sometime in the 1860's, for a surviving reference shows him selling his pottery shop there in March of 1870.

Rare Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Temperance Jug with Applied Snake Decoration, Inscribed "Take Care they Will Bite," OH origin, circa 1880. A wonderful example of ceramic folk art, this work shares some similarities in its form and bold use of impressed decoration to a jug inscribed "Christy town Pottery Works / Nov 27th 1883," made in Mahoning County, Ohio, and sold in Crocker Farm's Summer 2023 Auction, lot 88. H 9 7/8".

Fine Stoneware Jug with Incised Floral Decoration, Manhattan, NY origin, probably Crolius Family, circa 1795. H 14".

Glazed Stoneware Jar, Stamped "PAUL : CUSHMAN'S : STONE-WARE . FACTORY . 1811," Paul Cushman Pottery, Albany, NY, 1811. Provenance: William Bouck Collection. H 9 5/8".

Exceptional Slip-Decorated Molded Stoneware Corn Pitcher, Stamped "S. RISLEY / NORWICH / 3," CT origin, circa 1850-1875. Outstanding glaze treatment. A related corn pattern pitcher, produced without the additional white and purplish-brown slip, resides in the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society. H 9 1/4".

Very Rare Lidded Stoneware Jar with Alkaline Glaze, Stamped "RICH WILLIAMS," Gowensville area, Greenville County, SC origin, late 19th or early 20th century. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H (including lid) 7".

Very Rare Small-Sized Stoneware Presentation Pitcher, Inscribed "Sarah Owens / 1901," Stamped "C.C. BALLARD / HAYS / NC," Dated 1901. Only about 11 years old when this small pitcher was made, Sarah Owens appears in the 1900 federal census living only two households away from its maker, Cicero C. Ballard. An important new discovery in Wilkes County, NC stoneware. H 6 3/8".

Fine Moravian Manganese-Glazed Redware Jug, Salem, NC origin, circa 1790-1830. H 13".

Rare Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Devil Face Jug, Signed "Lanier Meaders," Cleveland, GA origin, circa 1970. A prized and rarely-produced Meaders face vessel form, this devil jug features modeling, glaze, and rock teeth application all dating it to a relatively early period in this potter's production. The ear's original piercings include later fired clay and wire earrings made by Billy Meaders. H 9 3/8".

Fine Early-Period Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Face Jug, Signed "Lanier Meaders," Cleveland, GA origin, circa 1970. Aspects of the modeling on this jug, including the glazed eyes and omission of teeth, indicate it is a relatively early example of Meaders's work. H 9 1/4".

Ohio Masterwork. Exceptional Ten-Gallon Stoneware Presentation Water Cooler with Extravagant Cobalt Cornucopia Decoration, Inscribed "H. King / Salem Ohio" and "Manufactured, / By, / G.B. Purdy, / Atwater, O," circa 1860.

Made at the Atwater, Ohio, pottery of Gurdon B. Purdy (c1818-1886, a member of the prolific Purdy family of Ohio stoneware manufacturers), this cooler was fashioned for Henry King, "farmer and iron manufacturer," according to the 1885 History of Portage County, Ohio. As that work notes, "In 1855 Mr. King went to Salem, Ohio, and embarked in the foundry and machine business there for fifteen years, and during that time, in connection with Pittsburgh parties, was also engaged in the manufacture of pig iron in Columbiana County, Ohio, and in Armstrong County, Penn." (pg. 608). With a background working in the railroad industry, in 1871 King was part of a group of three who patented an "improvement in railway stock-cars."

Brought up in the stoneware business (son of well-known Solomon Purdy, 1779-1854), Gurdon Purdy was certainly trained by his father, who came from Vermont to Zanesville in the 1810's, then moved to Springfield (near Akron) by the 1820's. In the 1860 federal census Gurdon appears in Atwater as a potter with substantial real estate, and this would have been roughly when the cooler was made. Interestingly, Gurdon Purdy and Henry King are buried in the same cemetery, Hope Cemetery in Salem.

Literature: Illustrated in Treichler, A History of Northeast Ohio Stoneware, p. 92. Treichler places a photo of this jug on the same page as an image of the cover of the July 1923 issue of The Magazine Antiques, which features a jug cooler decorated by the same hand, depicting a cornucopia and figure holding crossed flags, stamped at the shoulder "G. PURDY, / ATWATER, O." Treichler writes, "It seems notable that a piece of Ohio folk art pottery was featured on the cover of this now prestigious magazine in just its second year of publication. This particular sample of Purdy's product was (and still is) owned by the Ohio Historical Society (Columbus, OH). ... [T]he magazine's staff managed to get in touch with Thomas C. Purdy of Malden, MA, a son of the pottery owner, who supplied some further information about both his family and the person who crafted the piece. ... Perhaps the most informative part of Mr. Purdy's report is found in the following quote: 'I recall the fact that my father had in his employ a German, who had worked in the German potteries as well as in some of the fine ware shops in France. The ornamental work of the jug must have been done by this man ... .' ... On the basis of the mentions of France and Germany, it is fairly likely that this piece was produced by Jacob Gelhart or one of the members of his family" (Treichler, p. 92). As Treichler also notes, "Jacob Gelhart (1822-1897), the family patriarch, was born in France, probably in the Alsatian area bordering Germany (different sons report both countries as his birthplace). Based on the ages of his three sons, he must have come to America around 1850, spent some time in New York State and arrived in Ohio by 1856. Although his occupation is not stated in the 1860 census, both he and his sons appear in subsequent decades, and they most often record their occupation as 'turner.' Jacob's tax entries begin to appear at just about the same time as the first Purdy pottery was established in Atwater, and he seems like a likely candidate to fill the role of the skillful foreign potter noted by Gurdon Purdy's son, Thomas" (Treichler, p. 91).

This vessel's combination of monumental size (well over two feet tall), desirable form, over-the-top decoration, and inscriptions for both the owner and maker, place this work among the most outstanding examples of Ohio stoneware to come to auction in years. H 28 1/2".

Triple Decoration. Outstanding Six-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt Flower Basket, Deer, and House Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT," circa 1855. Featuring three iconic Hilfinger/Norton motifs on a single vessel, this work is noteworthy for the composition of the scene. Rarely are these three motifs included on the same piece and even more seldom-seen is the depiction of the flower basket as the larger central focal point. Featuring an outstanding size and superb color with thick, enamel-like cobalt, this work is distinguished as one of a very few Norton pieces decorated in this manner. Provenance: Waasdorp American Pottery Auction, September 19, 2009, lot 111, illustrated on cover of catalog (only lot depicted on the cover). H 13 1/2" ; Diam. (at rim) 13 3/4".

Rare and Fine Four-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Deer Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT," circa 1855. This jug's excellent size, large-scale design, and superb color/contrast, make it a noteworthy example of an iconic American stoneware image. Provenance: Waasdorp American Pottery Auction, March 15, 2008, lot 120, illustrated on catalog cover. H 18 1/4".

Scarce and Fine Three-Gallon Lidded Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Deer and House Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT," circa 1855. A good example of classic decoration by German immigrant, John Hilfinger (1826-1888), featuring a number of desirable design elements, crisp slip-trailing, and strong color. H (excluding lid) 13 1/2".

Rare Five-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Cobalt Deer and House Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON VT," circa 1855. Excellent coverage of design over the vessel's front, featuring two of the pottery's most distinctive motifs. H 12 3/4" ; Diam. (across top) 13".

Exceptional Four-Gallon Stoneware Churn with Cobalt Pheasant-on-Stump Decoration, Stamped "J. NORTON & CO. / BENNINGTON, VT," circa 1860. Decoration stands an impressive 12 1/4" tall and features excellent color and contrast. H (excluding lid) 17".

Early Edgefield. Exceedingly Rare and Important Two-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Dated Jug, Inscribed "1822" and Stamped "E," Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory, probably David Drake, Edgefield District, SC, 1822.

This work is distinguished as one of the very earliest examples of dated Edgefield stoneware known. Among these are a select group of pieces made at Pottersville dated between 1820 and 1822. A highly important bottle, signed and dated "A. Landrum / July 20th 1820," made by Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory founder, Abner Landrum, is currently on display at the William C. and Susan S. Mariner Gallery at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. A famous jug, closely-related in form to the jug in this auction, bears the date, "1821," and is also on display at the Mariner Gallery. The 1821 jug is illustrated in Todd's Carolina Clay on the second page of the book's color plate insert. Todd describes that jug thusly: "The profile of this unsigned vessel is almost identical to that of a signed Dave jug of 1853, which suggests that Dave made both of them. If so, this jug is his earliest known work, turned at Pottersville when he was about twenty years old" (Todd, color plate insert). Two documented Pottersville jars date to this time period as well; an ovoid jar with numerous impressed circles, dated 1821, and a second jar with seven B stamps, dated "July the 30th 1822," both of which are illustrated in Hunter and Heubach, "Visualizing the Stoneware Potteries of William Rogers of Yorktown and Abner Landrum of Pottersville," Ceramics in America 2019, figs. 15 and 16.

As one of the earliest dated Edgefield stoneware pieces known and possibly one of the earliest pieces of inscribed David Drake stoneware in existence, the importance of this lot is difficult to overstate. Pairing with its extremely rare and early date are fine craftsmanship, glazing, and condition to the vessel. Literature: For a related 1821 jug, see Todd, Carolina Clay, color insert, and Baldwin, Great and Noble Jar, p. 40, fig. 2.9. For related jars dated 1821 and July the 30th 1822, see Hunter and Heubach, "Visualizing the Stoneware Potteries of William Rogers of Yorktown and Abner Landrum of Pottersville," Ceramics in America 2019, figs. 15 and 16. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 13 1/2".

Three-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jars, Inscribed "Lm," David Drake at Lewis Miles's Stony Bluff Manufactory, Horse Creek Valley, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Classic Drake form and unusually fine condition. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 13".

Rare and Fine Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Cake Crock with Two-Color Slip Decoration, Edgefield District, SC origin, circa 1845-1850. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 7 1/8" ; Diam. (at rim) 8 3/8".

Very Rare Open-Handled Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar with Iron Slip Floral Decoration, attributed to Phoenix Factory, Shaw's Creek, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1840. Desirable form and highly unusual striped leaf designs incorporated into the classic Chandler-type daisy motif. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 8 3/4".

Fine One-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug with Bold Iron Slip Floral Decoration, attributed to the Trapp and Chandler Pottery, Reverend John Trapp and Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1848-1850. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 11 1/2".

Scarce Small-Sized Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Pitcher with Iron Slip Decoration, attributed to Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 7".

Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Bowl with Kaolin Slip Decoration, Stamped "CHANDLER / MAKER," Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. H 6 3/4" ; Diam. (at rim) 9 1/4".

Rare Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Face Harvest Jug, probably Greenville County, SC origin, late 19th or early 20th century. The surface is this face jug is covered in a blackish alkaline glaze (possibly mixed with Albany slip) related to glazes found on Upstate South Carolina stoneware including pieces by Greenville County potters, Rich Williams, and John Leonard Atkins. Consigned from a collection largely acquired from South Carolina homes, a Greenville County origin seems likely. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 6 3/8".

Rare Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware South Carolina Dispensary Jug, Stamped "S.C. DISPENSARY," attributed to J. G. Baynham, Trenton, Edgefield District, SC, late 19th century. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. H 9 3/4".

Outstanding Stoneware Jug with Impressed Fish and Incised Seaweed Decoration, attributed to Jonathan Fenton, Boston, MA, late 18th century. Incised decoration is exceedingly rare in Fenton's work, the potter favoring his various impressed motifs to freehand images. This jug is the first example of Fenton stoneware that we have seen combining one of his iconic impressed designs with hand-incised decoration. Arguably the most important Fenton fish-decorated piece that we have ever offered. H 14 1/2".

Very Rare Stoneware Jug with Impressed Fish Decoration, Stamped "J. Fenton," probably Dorset, VT origin, circa 1805. Of interesting note is the fact that the jug's maker's mark is also different than the stamp typically seen on his Dorset products, which features the potter's name in capitalized letters. As noted by stoneware authority, Lorraine German, Fenton was also active in Walpole, New Hampshire in 1796 and present-day Bloomfield, Connecticut, from 1798-1801, offering the possibility that this unusually-marked jug was made at one of these locations. H 15 1/2".

Fine One-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Elaborate Incised Floral Decoration, attributed to George Lent, Troy, NY, circa 1820. H 11 1/2".

Extremely Rare Handled Tanware Bank, New Geneva or Greensboro, PA origin, circa 1885. Among the most imaginatively-crafted examples of Western Pennsylvania tanware that we have seen, potted in a highly desirable bank form. H 7 1/4".

Fine Six-Gallon Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jar with Stenciled Rose Motif, Stenciled "Wilkinson & Fleming / Shinnston W Va," circa 1875. From a fine collection of West Virginia stoneware offered in this auction. H 16 7/8".

Extremely Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Canning with Reverse Stencil, Stenciled "BOYERS / & / HARDEN / PALATINE / W VA," circa 1875. From a fine collection of West Virginia stoneware offered in this auction. H 9 3/4".

Rare and Fine Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Canning Jar with Stenciled Star Motif and Proctor, WV Advertising, Western PA origin, circa 1875. Provenance: Early Ray Bush Collection, Huntington, WV; from a fine collection of WV stoneware offered in this auction. H 8 1/4".

Rare One-Gallon Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Jar with Ravenswood, WV Advertising, Western PA origin, circa 1875. From a fine collection of West Virginia stoneware offered in this auction. H 9 3/4".

Very Rare Cobalt-Stenciled Stoneware Canning Jar with St. Albans, WV Advertising, Western PA origin, circa 1880. The first piece bearing advertising for this town that we have offered. From a fine collection of West Virginia stoneware offered in this auction. H 8 1/2".

Exceptional Cobalt-Stenciled Stoneware Jar with Rivesville, WV Advertising, Western PA origin, circa 1875. From a fine collection of West Virginia stoneware offered in this auction. H 8".

Extremely Rare Cobalt-Decorated Stoneware Chamberpot, attributed to the Swank Pottery, Johnstown, PA, circa 1875. Diam. 8" ; H 5 1/4".

Scarce Stoneware Spaniel on Base with Two-Color Slip Decoration, attributed to the Donaghho Pottery, Parkersburg WV, circa 1890. Provenance: Reportedly descended in the family of a pottery employee in the West Virginia area; Crocker Farm, Inc., July 16, 2011, lot 139. H 9 3/4".

Fine Six-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX, / HARRISBURG .PA," circa 1865. Provenance: Recently found in a Northumberland County, PA home. H 12 3/4".

Scarce Four-Gallon Stoneware Water Cooler with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to William Linton, Baltimore, MD, circa 1860. H 15 1/2".

Extremely Rare Three-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "A. & J. G. RHOADS / MIDDLEBURY / OHIO," mid 19th century.

To our knowledge, no previous research has determined the identity of the makers who used this rare mark. However, the 1860 federal census for Middlebury, Summit County, Ohio, lists John Rhoads, shoemaker, and his wife, Amanda, living adjacent to (or perhaps on the same premises as) a stoneware manufactory. It appears that the Rhoads family, like numerous other merchants during the time period, owned a stoneware shop in Middlebury and had it superintended by perhaps multiple potters. The same census reveals the Rhoads shop to have been situated within the thick of a vibrant community of potters, and the one responsible for this pitcher was almost certainly trained in Baltimore or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region with a heavy Baltimore influence. Since the "A." in the Rhoads partnership was almost certainly Amanda, this mark is the only known American stoneware mark we can think of that includes the name of a female pottery owner.

Featuring an exceptional size and desirable form, this work is the first example of stoneware bearing this mark that we have ever offered. Its form and decoration strongly suggest its maker was trained in Baltimore or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region. H 14 3/4".

Prison Pottery. Extremely Rare Rustic Earthenware Umbrella Stand, Inscribed "Let me hold / Your Umbrella" and "Municipal Pottery / Chicago, Ill," circa 1915.

Municipal Pottery was the Pottery Department of the House of Correction of the City of Chicago, founded in the 1910's and quickly decried by local potters for drastically undercutting their prices. A report issued by the prison praised the skill of the prisoners at the pottery shop, claiming them to be "proficient in speed," that the "inmates like the work," and that it "is a healthy, pleasant and interesting occupation ... that might be of use to them in the future." A 1925 article noted, "There have been so many protests on the part of pot makers who have to pay for their labor ... that the authorities in charge of the House of Correction have discontinued the sale of flower pots." This is the only example of historic American pottery we are aware of that was made in a prison. H 22 3/4".

Very Rare Anna Pottery Rockingham-Glazed Anna Pottery Pig Bottle with Incised Railroad Map and St. Louis, MO Advertising, Anna, IL origin, circa 1880. This pig is the finest glazed and incised example of an Anna Rockingham-glazed pig among the three that we have ever offered. Featuring a dramatic spotted glaze differing from the other two examples that we have offered, this flask also includes unusually deep and crisp incising, including wonderful detail to the Missisippi River along its back. L 7 1/4".

Very Rare Diminutive Anna Pottery Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Pig Flask, Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, circa 1865. Aspects of the mold and incising indicate this flask was made during the Kirkpatricks' early years of pig flask production, circa 1865. It is the smallest Anna Pottery pig flask that we have ever offered. L 5 1/2".

Outstanding Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Cobalt Bird and Floral Decoration, Stamped "W.H. FARRAR & CO. / GEDDES. N.Y.," circa 1850. A wonderful example of a prized Farrar motif, this jug's design is the first of its type that we have offered depicting the bird with a turned-head stance. Provenance: Recently discovered in California. H 16 1/2".

Exceptional Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Elaborate Cobalt Bird and Floral Motif, Stamped "W.H. FARRAR & Co. / GEDDES, N.Y.," circa 1850. Provenance: Waasdorp American Pottery Auction, Clarence, NY, March 14, 2008, lot 78, illustrated on catalog cover. H 14 1/2".

Exceptional Five-Gallon Double-Handled Stoneware Jug with Elaborate Cobalt Turkey Decoration, Stamped "W-A-LEWIS / GALESVILLE - N-Y," circa 1857-1860. H 18 1/4".

Outstanding Two-Gallon Stoneware Syrup Jug with Cobalt Eagle and Banner Motif and Mechanicville, NY Advertising, third quarter 19th century. H 13 5/8".