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 February, 2019 | 29 Items | April, 2019  |
| MOCHA SLIP-BANDED AND SEAWEED DECORATED JUG, England, c. 1800, the brown, blue, black, and white marbling with regular mocha "seaweed" decoration, all below a blue slip band at the rim, strap handle with foliate terminals, ht. 6.25 in. Provenance: The Jonathan Rickard Collection. Condition: Spots an areas of slip loss on the exterior, chip at the bottom of the handle, shrinkage cracks on the bottom. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $600-800 Price Realized: $1,169 | |
| MOCHA CAT’S-EYE AND EARTHWORM EMPIRE-SHAPED JUG, England, c. 1830, banded in orange slip above a field of dark tan slip decorated with four-color cat's-eyes and earthworms, all between green-glazed rouletted bands at the foot and rim, applied strap handle with foliate terminals, molded spout, ht. 6.25 in. Provenance: The Jonathan Rickard Collection. Condition: Minor roughness on handle and rim, staining. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $500-700 Price Realized: $1,353 | |
| BLUE-PAINTED AND GILT PAPER APPLIQUE-DECORATED TALL CLOCK, Thomas Clark, Boston, Massachusetts, c. 1750, the hood with pagoda top centering a carved wooden finial, above a tombstone glazed door flanked by freestanding columns opening to the engraved brass dial with seconds hand, calendar aperture, and cast brass spandrels, maker's name "Thos. Clark/Boston," and brass eight-day weight-driven movement, on waist with molded tombstone door, the back of the door with applied engraved maker's label of Thomas Clark inscribed in part "Boston/New- England/from/London," and a handwritten note dated 1815 detailing the purchase of the clock at that time, all on molded stepped base, ht. 91.5 in. Provenance: The handwritten note on the inside of the door below the label, signed by the seller Samuel Pike, reads in full: "Capt. John Warren/Bot of Saml. D. Pike/One House Clock formerly belonging/to the Estate of the late Rev./Saml Deane of Portland/Westbrook, Nov. 9. 1815/Rec'd payment/[signed] Saml D. Pike." Samuel Deane (1733-1814) was the pastor of the First Parish Church in Portland. That congregation, established in 1674, now inhabits the stone building at 425 Congress St. in Portland, which incorporates an 1802 tower housing a Simon Willard gallery clock from an earlier church building. Note: Clark advertised as a watch and clock maker in Boston in 1764. Condition: missing cast brass ornament from arch of dial; overall surface wear; applique areas in hood, waist, and base chipped and with losses; hood door glass cracked; with pendulum, winder, two cast iron weights; two brass finials replaced, but one carved urn-form center finial appears original. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $4,000-6,000 Price Realized: $4,613 | |
| CARVED MAHOGANY DESK, probably Newport, Rhode Island, late 18th century, the top hinged in the center lifts and the faux two-drawer front drops to reveal a stepped interior with three blocked and shell-carved drawers surrounded by valanced compartments and two rows of drawers, all on a long drawer with divided interior and beaded skirt joining four stop-fluted legs and pierced brackets, (some restoration), ht. 40.5, wd. 42.5, dp. 24.5 in. Condition: some interior drawers rebuilt, chips to legs, losses and repairs to pierced brackets. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $800-1,200 Price Realized: $4,920 | |
| | SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI TEA BOWL AND SAUCER MADE FOR AND OWNED BY GENERAL BENJAMIN LINCOLN, China, c. 1790, the side of the tea bowl and center of the saucer decorated with a depiction of the Order of Cincinnati in overglaze blue, green, red, brown, black, white, and gilding, the tea bowl decorated with the obverse side of the order on the front and the "BL" in red and gilt on the back, the saucer decorated with the reverse side of the order over the initials "BL" in red and gilt, both with black and gilt floral sprigs and scroll and line rim decoration, tea bowl ht. 2, dia. 3.5, saucer ht. 1.25, dia. 5.5 in. Provenance: By direct descent from General Benjamin Lincoln, Hingham, Massachusetts, to the consignor. In 1952 twenty-eight pieces of this service were presented to the Concord Antiquarian Society, Concord, Massachusetts, by the sons and daughters of Dr. William Lincoln Smith whose great-great-grandfather was General Lincoln. Note: General Lincoln's Society of Cincinnati tea service was one of seven similar sets commissioned by Samuel Shaw about 1790 for members of the Society. Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. He married Mary Cushing in 1756 and together they had eleven children. He served in the local militia and held several town offices prior to the American Revolution. With the outbreak of war, Lincoln oversaw militia organization and supply for the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. In January 1776, Lincoln was promoted to Major General in the Massachusetts Militia and commanded troops in New York, Vermont, and South Carolina. He served as Secretary of War from 1781 to the end of the war in 1783. Condition: Both tea bowl and saucer with wear to gilt edge; saucer with very minor wear to enamel and gilt decoration; tea bowl with very minor wear to gilt "BL,' saucer with small areas of discoloration and a flaw in the making to the right of the eagle. No evidence of chips, cracks, or repair. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $10,000-15,000 Price Realized: $92,250 |
| SILVER TONGS, likely eastern Massachusetts, second half 18th century, scissors-form with scroll handles and shell tongs, the pivot engraved "L/BM," for Benjamin and Mary Lincoln, lg. 4.75 in. Provenance: Originally owned by General Benjamin (1733-1810) and Mary Lincoln (1734-1816) of Hingham, Massachusetts. Tongs descended through their daughter, Sarah Lincoln (1761-1810) who married Dr. Gridley Thaxter (1756-1845). The tongs were given to their son, Dr. Ezekiel Thaxter (1787-1856) and then to his granddaughter, and then by descent to the present owner. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $400-600 Price Realized: $1,599 | |
| DEATH OF GENERAL PIKE, AT L. YORK, Oliver Tarbell Eddy, Wethersfield, Vermont, c. 1813, engraving depicting Zebulon Pike as fallen off of his rearing horse and lying on the ground beside his sword, in a black-painted molded frame, ht. 16, wd. 14 in. (sight). Note: General Zebulon Pike was killed on April 27, 1813 at the siege of Fort York. This work is thought to be Eddy's earliest known engraving. Condition: The sheet is reinforced on the back with very fine silk mesh, there is a horizontal fold in the center with a few associated tears, the right and left edges have a few approx. 1 to 1.5 in closed tears; there are three repaired tears along the top edge, one small repaired hole below the horse's belly, and at lower right edge; plate mark is complete; image has minor toning but is bright overall. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $1,200-1,500 Price Realized: $7,380 | |
| NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER “HANNAH BYRN," made at Sarah Stivours' School, Salem, Massachusetts, dated 1788, stitched in silk on linen with eight lines of alphabet over the stitched inscription "HANNA BYRN AE 10 AD 1788 ECLARE/HER LIFE THIS USEFUL LESSON SHOULD A/VIRTUE ALONE DESERVE OUR SERIOUS CARE," above a scene with two trees, basket of flowers, peacock, dog, owl, lamb, and floral vines, not framed, ht. 11.5, wd. 10.25 in. Provenance: Collection of Madeline Fisher. Note: Lot includes a photocopy of a letter from Betty Ring to a previous owner regarding the sampler expressing her opinion that it was almost certainly created at Sarah Stivours' School, Salem, Massachusetts, and suggest that Hannah was the daughter of Simon and Hannah Byrn. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $1,500-2,500 Price Realized: $4,305 | |
| WATERCOLOR "CLEMENT" FAMILY RECORD, Pompey, New York, c. 1814, documenting significant life events in the family of Samuel Clement and Ruth Hibbard and their eleven children arranged in columns with the headings "Names," "Births," "Marriages," and "Deaths," each column decorated with a device symbolic of the event; the top of the record with an image of the ship Lyon on a calm crescent-moon-lit sea flanked by a fouled anchor and balance scale set beneath a green drapery; all within a bright yellow framework with red and green leafy decoration, in original gilt ropetwist pattern frame, sheet ht. 12, wd. 9 in. Note: Samuel Clement (1772-1856) was born in Northbridge, Massachusetts. In the autumn of 1793 he went to Westmoreland, New York, and began a career as a teacher. In March 1794 Clement constructed a home in the area and in April helped organize the town of Pompey. He married Ruth Hibbard (1774-1823) later that year. Ruth Hibbard, Samuel's wife, is descended from Robert Hibbard who emigrated to America in the late 1630s arriving on the ship Lyon with Governor John Winthrop. Included with the lot is an extensive binder of genealogical information on the Clement and Hibbard families along with the book Re-Union of the Sons and Daughters of the Old Town of Pompey, 1875. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $2,000-3,000 Price Realized: $5,228 | |
| LIGHT BLUE/GREEN OVAL SHAKER PANTRY BOX, America, 19th century, with finger-lapped seam secured by copper tacks, ht. 3.25, wd. 9 in. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $1,000-1,500 Price Realized: $3,998 | |
| PORTRAIT OF JOHN NEWCOMB KNAPP (1826-1893) of VICTORY, NEW YORK, unsigned, the subject identified in typed notes on the reverse. Oil on canvas laid down on panel, 23.5 x 19.5 in., in a black-painted frame with gilt liner. Provenance: John Newcomb Knapp to Jessie Knapp Gates (b. 1857), to Theoda Elizabeth Gates Hubbard (b. 1886), to John Merrill Hubbard (b. 1921), and by descent in the family to the current owner. Note: The sitter, John Newcomb Knapp, was born in Victory, New York, to John Turner Knapp (b. 1802), son of Captain John Newcomb (b. 1760) of New Lebanon, Connecticut. John Newcomb Knapp was an accomplished student from an early age, and during his attendance at Albany Law School, he gained an appointment as special agent in the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the Pierce administration, serving into the early part of Buchanan's term. After graduating from law school he entered the banking industry and moved to Wisconsin. In 1860 he moved back to Victory, New York, where he turned to politics, and was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to the post of Provost-Marshal of the 24th Congressional District in New York. He was also successful as the Adjutant General of New York, recruiting 4 regiments from upstate New York into the Civil War. After the war he moved back into private enterprise and became a director and secretary at the Merchant's Union Express Company (later American Express). In 1871 he was appointed Quartermaster General by Governor Dix of New York, and served in that post until 1873. Sometime afterwards he moved to Auburn, New York, where he served as Postmaster, appointed by President Harrrison, and Chairman of the Republican State Committee. He died in Auburn in 1893. Included in the lot are some family documents, as well as a copy of the 1874 Genealogical Memoir of the Newcomb Family, published by Knight & Leonard, Chicago, given to Grayson Guthrie Knapp by John Newcomb Knapp. Condition: Minor damage and spots of retouch. Thin lines and spots and very small areas of retouch to collar and sleeve, minor retouch in spots to face. Losses including to a small horizontal area below lower lip. Old repairs to two punctures or small tears in lower right quadrant with associated retouch - one in background, one near left sleeve. Laid down onto a composite board of some kind a long time ago, probably when punctures were repaired. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $10,000-15,000 Price Realized: $231,000 | |
| RARE SLIP-DECORATED BUFF BODY DISH, Staffordshire, England, c. 1720, the interior with a cream colored and light brown slip arch and dot decoration, four stylized petals and diamonds divided by cream and light brown slip dot decoration, the rim with cream and light brown trailed slip lattice decoration, all against a field of dark brown slip, coggled rim, ht. 3.25, dia. 16.75 in. Provenance: The Jonathan Rickard Collection. Literature: Illustrated in Ronald G. Cooper, English Slipware Dishes 1650-1850, (London: Alex Tiranti, 1968); and Leslie B. Grigsby, The Longridge Collection of English Slipware and Delftware, (London: Jonathan Horne Publications, 2000). Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $3,000-5,000 Price Realized: $10,455 | |
| BLACK-PAINTED HEXAGONAL LANTERN, probably England, late 18th/early 19th century, the pierced "wedding cake" top on a body with arched windows and door, with two candle sockets inside, turned finials, and conical feet, ht. 18 in. Condition: Three panes of glass are cracked, one pane is missing, one finial is missing, the uppermost section of the vented top is detached, but present. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $800-1,200 Price Realized: $3,567 | |
| EAGLE-DECORATED EXPORT PORCELAIN COFFEEPOT, CUPS, AND SAUCERS, China, early 19th century, the pot and four cups and saucers decorated with a spreadwing eagle and shield with floral decoration, the rims with grape, vine, and leaf decoration, (one cup broken), ht. to 9.75 in. Provenance: Edward Carrington; Carrington House, Providence, Rhode Island. Condition: one tea cup with hairline, two saucers with minor rim hairlines. minor gilt wear to edges, minor gilt losses along lower edge of teapot. No major restorations or repairs. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $1,500-2,500 Price Realized: $5,535 | |
| LIVERPOOL TRANSFER-DECORATED CREAMWARE JUG, England, late 18th century, depicting the ship Thomas on one side, and Masonic imagery on the other, the front inscribed "HENRY HUTCHINSON/SAIL MAKER/BOSTON" within a wreath above an image of Hope, spreadwing eagle on the back, the rim with grapevine decoration and traces of gilding, (staining, hairline cracks), ht. 11.625 in. Note: The may 1802 Boston newspaper Massachusetts Mercury includes advertisements for Henry Hutchinson's sail-making business. Condition: staining throughout much of the body and along several hairline cracks and several small spidering cracks; remnants of gilt to the rim and underside of spout and at handle terminals. minor wear to decoration. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $1,000-1,500 Price Realized: $4,305 | |
| PAINT-DECORATED WALL BOX, America, 19th century, double arched hanging brackets on a rectangular back, shaped sides, and outward sloping front, soiled ochre-painted surface with black border, the front with floral motif, with evidence of older salmon-painted surface below, ht. 12, wd. 12.375, dp. 5.25 in. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $600-800 Price Realized: $3,075 | |
| GEORGE SPIELER (PENNSYLVANIA, ACTIVE C. 1839-1840), PAIR OF MINIATURE PORTRAITS OF A MAN AND WOMAN, Signed "G. Spieler" on the right edge of the portrait of the man. Watercolor on ivory, 2 x 1.75 in., in 14kt gold frames. Condition: No evidence of retouch, the loop on the man's frame restored. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $800-1,200 Price Realized: $5,843 | |
| GEOMETRIC BLUE AND WHITE QUILT, America, 19th century, the front decorated with an interlocking box pattern of printed blue cloth against a white background, approx. lg. 74, wd. 66 in. Sold at Skinner Auctions March 2, 2019. Estimate: $400-600 Price Realized: $11,070 | |
| MONUMENTAL EIGHT-GALLON STONEWARE PRESENTATION COOLER, with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Impressed "DOCT. LEWIS RIGGS / HOMER / 1836", and "CHOLLAR & DARBY / HOMER / 1836", Signed "M.W", Madison Woodruff at the Thomas D. Chollar and Joseph Darby Pottery, Homer, NY, 1836, large-sized, highly-ovoid cooler with square bunghole, ribbed handles, and tooled spout, decorated with a series of tulips with spotted interiors, extending from a leafy base. Brushed cobalt highlight around bunghole. Cobalt highlights to lower handle terminals. Impressed on front with the cobalt-highlighted inscription, "DOCT. LEWIS RIGGS / HOMER / 1836". Reverse with impressed and cobalt-highlighted maker's mark, "CHOLLAR & DARBY / HOMER / 1836”. Additionally impressed on front and reverse neck with the cobalt-highlighted initials, "M.W", serving as the signature of well-known New York State potter, Madison Woodruff. This cooler is illustrated and discussed in Ketchum's Potters and Potteries of New York State, and described thusly: ". . . there is a large double-handled water cooler marked "DOCT. LEWIS RIGGS HOMER 1836" on one side and "CHOLLAR & DARBY HOMER 1836" on the other. This piece is particularly interesting because it is also stamped "M.W" for Madison Woodruff, the maker and potter who owned the Cortland stoneware works for many years (Ketchum, p. 313). This piece is pictured on the following page. The owner of the cooler, 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. Featuring exceptional size, a rare presentation inscription, and the signature of a young potter who would rise to future success in nearby Cortland, this cooler is easily-regarded as the finest example of Homer, NY stoneware that we have offered in nearly fifteen years. Literature: Discussed and illustrated in Ketchum, Potters and Potteries of New York State, 1650-1900, Syracuse University Press, 1987, pp. 313-314. Condition: Excellent condition with a 2.52" crack on underside, continuing 5.5” up reverse, a tiny chip to top of spout, a small chip to side of right handle, and some small firing flaws. H 20.5”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $11,210 | |
| OUTSTANDING THREE-GALLON STONEWARE JAR, with Cobalt Flying Eagle Decoration, Stamped "WM. E. WARNER / WEST-TROY", NY State origin, circa 1850, ovoid jar with tall collar and applied lug handles, decorated with a large slip-trailed design of a flying eagle holding a banner in its beak. Excellent dashed and looping line details to eagle and spots to banner. Cobalt highlights to maker's mark and capacity mark. An iconic Warner design, often found overfired or underfired. This decoration, however, features crisp, dark slip-trailing and is among the best of its kind that we have seen. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in a New England collection. Condition: A .75” in-the-firing iron ping to interior of rim. Some wear to body on reverse. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $7,080 | |
| OUTSTANDING SIX-GALLON STONEWARE KEG-FORM COOLER, with Incised Fish and Floral Motifs, Albany, NY origin, possibly Jonah or Calvin Boynton, circa 1810-1820, ovoid keg with raised banding, small circular bunghole, and carved circular opening in top, the front decorated with a large incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a fish with deeply-carved details throughout. Further decorated below with an incised daisy motif, modeled after designs first employed by William Capron, featuring hollow and cobalt-highlighted segments, a dashed interior, and slender petals emanating from the blossom. Raised banding and area surrounding the bunghole are highlighted in cobalt slip. Aspects of the form, decoration, and color, lead to a firm attribution to Albany, NY, with brothers, Jonah and Calvin Boynton, as possible makers. This cooler is among the finest examples of Albany stoneware that we have offered recently, with a nicely-sized fish design that measures 7 1/2" along the curve of the vessel. The fish-decorated keg coolers of Albany are among the most iconic early New York State stoneware pieces known, with examples represented in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Albany Institute of Art in Albany, NY. The popularity of this design element on Albany stoneware is said to have risen out of the prolific food source of sturgeon, referred to as "Albany beef", which were caught in the nearby Hudson River. This cooler survives in rarely-found excellent, essentially as-made condition. H 17.25”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $5,605 | |
| EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND IMPORTANT ALKALINE-GLAZED STONEWARE FACE HARVEST JUG, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1845-1870, ovoid form of arched handle and applied tubular pouring spout on reverse with semi-squared mouth, the front decorated with a hand-modeled and applied clay face. The face features kaolin eyes applied within elliptical eyelids, an open mouth bearing carved kaolin teeth and flattened lips, an applied mustache formed from twisted pieces of clay, a well-sculpted nose with pointed tip and carved nostrils, and large ears with applied tragi. The face's striking, lunate form with flared, high-set cheek bones, was created by gently depressing the surface of the jug while the clay was still soft. An arched ridge scored above the face, an unusual treatment, delineates the figure's forehead. The surface features a colorful green alkaline glaze with sporadic iron spotting. This recently-discovered work is among the finest known face vessels produced in the Edgefield potting tradition, and the best example of this distinctive Southern ceramic form that we have ever offered. The piece's large size, desirable harvest jug form, and expressive face with twisted mustache, create an object of both extreme rarity and strong folk art appeal. Its wonderful fu-manchu-style treatment 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. The example to be auctioned joins a small, highly-prized group of face harvest jugs, all with similar mouths, glazing, and pupil-less eyes, believed to have been made at the same pottery. Among these are two published examples currently held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the High Museum. When comparing all from this group, the face jug to be auctioned arguably exceeds all other known examples in the expressiveness of the face and sophistication of its sculpting. Southern stoneware objects of this quality rarely become available for public sale. Standing as one of the very best examples of a coveted South Carolina form, the importance of this work is difficult to overstate. 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. Condition: Excellent condition with a shallow 5/8" flake to the reverse edge of one ear and a smaller flake to the edge of the same ear. Two minor chips to opposite ear. H 8.5”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $82,600 | |
| VERY RARE REDWARE BOWL, with Profuse Three-Color Slip Decoration, Alamance County, NC origin, circa 1820-1840, tapered bowl with semi-squared rim, the interior decorated with a large cream and manganese slip tulip plant, bearing five blossoms, accented with manganese spots. This central design is bordered by an alternating series of copper slip dashes and cream-colored slip bands overlain with arched manganese trails. Interior surface covered in a clear lead glaze. This bowl stylistically relates to an Alamance County, NC redware pitcher with potted tulip plant motif, sold as lot 50 in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s July 21, 2018 auction, although this work was decorated by a looser hand. Its profuse use of spotted, arched, and dashed trails, all surrounding a central floral device, creates a dazzling, almost kaleidoscopic, folk aesthetic. In all, well over two-hundred individual trails of slip were required to decorate this work. Wear to slip, primarly the cream-colored slip of the tulips. A long crack from edge, emanating from a sliver shaped chip. Rim with shallow chips and wear. H 2.625; Diameter 12”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $5,310 | |
| VERY RARE COPPER DECORATED REDWARE DISH, attributed to Henry Watkins, Randolph or Guilford County, NC, circa 1820-1850, tapered dish with flared rim, the interior decorated with three large splotches of copper-oxide and covered in a heavy lead glaze. Excellent color with large masses of green over mottled yellowish-orange ground. Literature: For a related example, see Pugh and Minnock-Pugh, "The Quaker Ceramic Tradition in Piedmont North Carolina", Ceramics in America 2010, fig. 18. Excellent condition. A thin, 10.0625" in-the-firing contact mark to rim area. A shallow .75” flake to interior center, possibly in-the-firing. A minor glaze flake to edge. Other very minor wear. H 2" ; Diameter 9.625”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $7,080 | |
| EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND IMPORTANT STONEWARE INKWELL, with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to David Parr, Sr., Baltimore, MD, circa 1825, cylindrical form with footed base, tooled accents, and raised spout with rounded mouth, the top pierced with three quill holes. Circumference of inkwell lavishly-decorated with brushed tulips emanating from leafy stems. Top with heavy cobalt swag decoration surrounding the cobalt-highlighted spouts. Foot of inkwell decorated with a cobalt band. 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. Excellent, essentially as-made condition with a tiny bit of adhered clay to shoulder and some light spalling to the heavily-applied cobalt slip at the spout. H 2.375" ; Diameter 3.25”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $5,900 | |
| EXTREMELY RARE STONEWARE WATER FILTER, with Elaborate Cobalt Clover Decoration, Stamped "Brotherton & Davidson. / PATENT. / BALTIMORE", Baltimore, MD, circa 1838, cylindrical form with squared rim, applied tab handles, and tubular base perforated with original filter holes. Body profusely-decorated on each side with a garland of graduated leaves and clovers. Cobalt highlights to handle terminals and tops of handle, and each handle underscored by a series of vertical cobalt slashes. Impressed with the large cobalt-highlighted maker's mark, "Brotherton & Davidson / PATENT / B ALTIMORE". This partnership's patented water 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. Condition: Short, thin cracks to rim area, some of which are touched up with paint on reverse. Chipping to base of filter. H 15”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $2,242 | |
| EXCEEDINGLY RARE DIMINUTIVE PRESENTATION STONEWARE RING FLASK, with Incised Floral Decoration, Inscribed "Peter Machett / 1812", possibly Crolius Family, Manhattan, NY, 1812, wheel-thrown ring form with applied spout and footed base, decorated on each side with incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a flowering plant emanating from the ground. Incised at base with the cobalt-highlighted presentation inscription, "Peter Machett 1812". Additional brushed cobalt highlights to spout and on underside of foot, along its juncture with the ring. 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 5.75" tall, and was presumably made as a pocket-sized liquor flask or a child's present. Provenance: A recently-surfaced example. This flask survives in remarkable, essentially as-made condition with a minor and shallow, in-the-firing chip to top of spout. As a fragile ceramic object of over 200 years in age, the condition is noteworthy. H 5.75"; W 4.375”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $33,040 | |
| EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND IMPORTANT STONEWARE MUG, with Cobalt Flying Bird Motifs, Manhattan, NY or Cheesequake, NJ origin, circa 1725-1780, cylindrical mug with tooled and cobalt-highlighted banding to shoulder and base, decorated around the shoulder with three flocks of stylized flying birds. Additional cobalt highlights to handle terminals. A lack of salt glaze on this mug indicates limited glazing technology on the part of the maker, or that the mug was fired inside of another piece, where it would not be in contact with salt vapors during the firing. 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. Shallow chipping around rim. H 5.125”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $1,770 | |
| 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, wheel-thrown form with rounded spout and shoulder, fashioned with four flattened sides with canted corners, decorated on all four sides with different brushed-manganese designs of a flowering plant, two sides incorporating an urn. Shoulder decorated with brushed manganese foliate motifs. Surface covered in a clear lead glaze over a vivid, bright-orange ground. Underside incised "[Te]a Caniste[r] / Made Sep 2[2] / 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. The two canisters' identical forms, inscriptions, and nearly identical decorations, indicate they were likely made as a pair and separated years ago. A second, less-elaborate pair, dated 1848, are owned by Colonial Williamsburg and include the potter's signature, "E. White", on their undersides. The canister to be auctioned, an extremely rare form with exuberant decoration in the Pennsylvania-German style, is regarded as a remarkable recent discovery in American slip-decorated redware. Provenance: A recently-surfaced example, consigned by a California resident who purchased it in a Punxsutawney, PA antiques shop forty years ago. 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. Condition: Excellent condition with a shallow flake to interior of spout, minor spout wear, other minor edge wear, and a minor .3125” flake or in-the-firing contact mark to shoulder. H 7.75”. Sold at Crocker Farm March 23, 2019. Price realized: $21,240 |
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All material on this website © copyright 2009-25 by Colonial Sense, except where otherwise indicated.
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