2023 at Crocker Farm: A Look Back
2023 was another milestone year here at Crocker Farm, and I think it's worth looking back to take stock of the current state of the American stoneware market as we enter 2024.
Ring flask by George Duncan, Loudoun County, Virginia, 1827.
At least eight significant world auction records were broken in our three 2023 auctions, held in the spring, summer and fall. Perhaps the most significant was achieved by a special ring flask featured in our spring sale. This object had nearly everything anyone would want in the highest level of American stoneware: a wonderful patriotic decoration, an exceedingly rare maker, a very desirable place of origin, hand-inscribed signature and date by the potter, patriotic inscriptions, very rare form. Made in Loudoun County, Virginia, by George Duncan in 1827, this ring flask featured an incised federal eagle decoration along with the inscriptions "Where Liberty dwells there is my country" (a quote from Benjamin Franklin) and "Peace, plenty and independence" (an American slogan of the time). All of the above factors combined to realize a selling price of $204,000, a world auction record for Virginia stoneware. This was a large improvement on the previous record of $92,000 set at our October 25, 2014 auction for an elaborate stoneware jar with horses decoration by Winchester, Virginia, potter Samuel Bell.
Edgefield Face Jug, possibly by African-American potter Fortune Justice.
An Edgefield District, South Carolina, face jug set a new high water mark for this beloved pottery form in the same auction. Setting a new world auction record for American face jugs at $144,000, this wonderful example was attributable to African-American potter Fortune Justice based on specific characteristics. Selling to the Baltimore Museum of Art, this face vessel broke the previous world auction record for an American face jug set by us in July 2017, $100,300.
Early period stoneware jar by Thomas W. Commeraw, late 18th century.
2023 saw major museum exhibitions of both the work of the African-American potters of Edgefield District, South Carolina, as well as that of New York City's Thomas W. Commeraw, the first African-American pottery owner. A jar I chose to grace the cover of my 2022 Commeraw biography sold in our summer auction for $120,000, a new world auction record for this important potter's work. Selling to the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, D.C., the jar's acquisition highlights the current institutional interest in American ceramics by craftsmen who have been traditionally underrepresented. (This sale breaks the previous world auction record for Commeraw's work, set in our fall 2021 auction for a fantastic jug of his. For those interested, the two exhibitions are Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina, soon to open its final leg at the High Museum, and Crafting Freedom: The Life and Legacy of Free Black Potter Thomas W. Commeraw, created by the New-York Historical Society with a second leg at Fenimore Art Museum.)
Frederick Stetzenmeyer, Rochester, New York, stoneware deer crock.
On the opposite side of the state from Manhattan, Rochester stood as one of the chief centers of beautifully decorated New York style stoneware in the middle of the 19th century. An exceedingly well rendered deer crock made by Frederick Stetzenmeyer set a new world auction record for Rochester stoneware in our fall 2023 auction, selling for $108,000.
Massive Philadelphia stoneware water cooler with incised birds, dated 1828 and attributed to Henry Remmey, Jr.
The same auction saw another important record fall, that for Philadelphia stoneware, as an absolutely extraordinary water cooler impressed "PHILADELPHIA" and dated 1828 realized $108,000. Mark described this as "THE masterwork of Remmey family stoneware produced in America," and indeed it is, bearing the tell-tale hand of famous American stoneware potter, Henry Remmey, Jr., who was born in Manhattan in the 1790's, moved with his father to Baltimore 1812 and then founded his business in Philadelphia shortly before this cooler was made. While the cooler suffered damage in the firing, the Remmeys clearly thought highly enough of this object to spare it from the waster pile; even taking this damage into account, it markedly surpassed the previous world auction record for Philadelphia stoneware, $86,250, set by us in March 2015 for a Remmey face jug.
Alamance County, North Carolina, Redware Sugar Jar w/ Lid, attributed to the Loy / Albright Families, late 18th century.
On the topic of extraordinarily decorated examples, an Alamance County, North Carolina, sugar jar in our fall auction set the world record for redware from this prolific center of redware production: $132,000. This jar with original lid was in exceptional condition for its type and the general consensus leading up to the auction was that it was certainly one of the finest examples known. It was completely fresh to the market, a new discovery.
The only known example of stoneware marked by Georgetown, D.C. stoneware potter, Samuel Holmes.
Another new discovery in Southern ceramics was particularly exciting for me. Many years ago I published in Antiques & Fine Art magazine my article on the Washington, D.C. stoneware potters. (You can read it here.) This was the culmination of several years' worth of research on a group of potters who had previously seen virtually no significant scholarship, and in it I documented all of the known maker's marks used by District of Columbia stoneware makers throughout the 19th century. Some years after its publication, I happened upon an intriguing ad from an 1820 issue of the Georgetown National Messenger: "WAS TAKEN UP / [A]t the upper end of High-street; a dark bay HORSE ... . The owner ... can have him again, by applying at the Stone-Ware Manufactory, at the upper end of High-street, Georgetown. / SAMUEL HOLMES." At the time, I believed the referenced manufactory was that of another potter I've been researching for quite a while, James Miller, who potted in Georgetown, Alexandria and elsewhere. Perhaps, I thought, Holmes had some sort of association with Miller or was simply a third party who found the horse. Imagine my surprise when we were emailed out of the blue a wonderful stoneware pitcher bearing the previously unknown maker's mark, "HOLMES, Georgetown / D.C." I immediately knew the first name of the maker and was absolutely thrilled to be able to bring this new discovery to light. It sold for $32,400, a new world auction record for District of Columbia stoneware. (We had sold a jar by Washington stoneware manufacturer Richard Butt for just over $13,000 in July 2008 and I don't believe any other Washington objects had since surpassed that mark.)
Arie Meaders face jug, Cleveland, Georgia, 1958-59.
The new world record set by the Edgefield face jug in our spring auction was not the only significant price for face jugs achieved in our sales last year. One of these was the $48,000 realized for an Arie Meaders face jug in our fall auction, a new world auction record for 20th century face jugs crafted by the famous Meaders family of potters. Part of the Carl and Marian Mullis Collection, the sale of this rare example by a female potter highlights the continuing rapid ascendancy of face jugs as an art form, even ones produced several decades beyond the 19th century.
West Troy, New York, twenty-gallon stoneware barrel that realized $120,000 in our summer 2023 auction.
Numerous other high-level prices were achieved in our 2023 auctions, and you can view all 2023 highlights here. We look forward to what 2024 has to bring at Crocker Farm, and with a number of important objects already in hand for our spring 2024 auction, we are now accepting consignments for what will be another landmark sale. Please always feel free to contact us to discuss having us sell your pottery for you. We are more than happy to give you our honest assessment of your items and how we feel they will fare in our unparalleled platform. (Incidentally, we proudly continue to offer some of the lowest rates in the industry for the services we provide.) Our best to all of you for a wonderful 2024!