Exceedingly Rare and Important Ovoid Stoneware Jug with Incised Bird Decoration, Stamped "C. CROLIUS / MANUFACTURER / MANHATTAN-WELLS / NEW-YORK," Clarkson Crolius, Sr., Manhattan, NY, circa 1810, approximately two-gallon, highly ovoid jug with applied ribbed handle and tooled neck, decorated with a large incised bird perched on a leaf, brushed over in bright cobalt blue. The bird"s wings are embellished with incised feather detail and its eye is represented by a hollow oval. Large-sized maker"s mark of Clarkson Crolius, Sr., highlighted in cobalt. Early Manhattan stoneware of this quality rarely enters the market. This jug is the only example of signed Clarkson Crolius stoneware we have seen with an incised bird decoration, and it serves as a basis for attribution of unsigned stoneware with similar designs. It was once part of the Leigh and Leslie Keno collection, having been sold to its latest owners by their mother, Norma Keno, in Adamstown, PA, nearly thirty years ago. Pictured in the Kenos" book, Hidden Treasures, on p. 35. Repair to cracks on reverse, extending to front above maker"s mark. Restoration to rim. Heavy chipping to base. Tiny hole in reverse. H 13".
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