Outstanding Two-Gallon H. C. SMITH / ALEXA. / DC Stoneware Pitcher

March 3, 2012 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 312

Price Realized: $4,600.00

($4,000 hammer, plus 15% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 12 years old, and the American ceramics market frequently changes. Additionally, small nuances of color, condition, shape, etc. can mean huge differences in price. If you're interested in having us sell a similar item for you, please contact us here.

Auction Highlight: March 3, 2012 Auction | Alexandria / DC Stoneware

March 3, 2012 Auction Catalog

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Outstanding and Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "H.C. SMITH / ALEXA / D.C.," circa 1845, unusually-shaped, narrow-bodied pitcher with rounded shoulder and flared, heavily-tooled collar. Decorated with a large three-stemmed plant extending up the front, bearing numerous leaves and ten clovers or flower blossoms. Spout flanked by cobalt swags and decorated with leafy brushwork along its front. The Baltimore-style design and elegant, slender form suggest James Shinnick, a Baltimore-trained potter employed by Milburn, was the maker of this pitcher. Similar cobalt motifs and pitcher forms can be found on later works by Shinnick, produced in Strasburg and Mt. Crawford, VA. Excellent form, size, and decoration. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, recently found in the D.C. area. Tight crack extending up from base towards the vicinity of the maker's mark. Otherwise mint condition. H 14 3/8".