Exceptional Small-Sized Stoneware Cooler with Incised Fish and Bird Decorations, Incised "Albany August 7 1817," Stamped "BOYNTON," Albany, NY origin, approximately two-gallon keg-form cooler with tooled and cobalt brushed bands and hexagonal bung hole at base. Decorated on the front with a finely incised decoration of a long-faced fish and a long-billed, crested bird. Fish detailed with wavy incised lines along body, pronounced gills, and numerous short incised marks on the face. Bird accented with numerous incised feathers on body. Cooler is decorated below this design with a second, differently-styled fish and bird motif. In this design, a shorter-billed bird opposes a shorter-faced fish with open mouth and incised teeth. Interestingly, in both instances, the bird appears to be kissing the fish's head. The incised inscription, accented in cobalt at the base of the cooler, reads "Albany August 7, 1817," indicating the vessel's city of origin and date of production. Below these words, six impressed rosettes form an arc above the cooler's bung hole. Reverse of cooler impressed with the maker's mark "BOYNTON," that used by brothers, Calvin and Jonah Boynton, at their pottery on Washington Street in Albany, NY. A previously unknown, fresh-to-the-market example, and one of the finest pieces of early stoneware offered for sale in recent years. Provenance: Consigned out of the southeastern U.S. by a gentleman who purchased it in Georgia approximately twenty years ago. In-the-firing horizontal line on reverse, which does not go through to interior. 6 1/2" vertical line extending from of a small stone ping on left side of cooler, which likely occurred in the firing, and does not go through to interior. 1 1/2" chip on interior of rim. A few other minor rim chips. Loss to bung hole. H 13".
