Important Six-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Exuberant Flowering Urn, House, and Fence Scene, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT", Incised "Benning / Bennington", circa 1855, large-sized, ovoid jar with semi-rounded rim and applied lug handles, decorated with an artistic slip-trailed design of a flowering urn with open handles and pedestal base, flanked by a house and fence. The underside features the hand-incised inscription, "Benning / Bennington", suggesting this jar was made as a presentation piece or bore some significance in its day. This idea is corroborated by the jar's unusually large size and wonderful decoration. The slip-trailed scene on this jar measures an impressive 9 1/4" high by 11" long and is executed in the vibrant, enamel-like cobalt for which this manufactory has become highly prized. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, purchased decades ago by the consignor. Two chips on interior of rim. A chip on exterior of rim. An approximately 7 1/4" sealed V-shaped crack from rim on reverse. A thin 12" crack from rim on reverse. A 2" hairline from rim above one handle. A 7/8" line with shallow chipping to end of one handle. H 15".
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