Rare and Important Stoneware Jar w/ Incised Birds att. Paul Cushman, Albany, NY

March 25, 2017 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 231

Price Realized: $2,006.00

($1,700 hammer, plus 18% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 7 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.

March 25, 2017 Auction Catalog

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Rare and Important Two-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Incised Bird Decoration, attributed to Paul Cushman, Albany, NY, early 19th century, ovoid jar with footed base, heavily-tooled shoulder, and applied lug handles, decorated on the front and reverse with an incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a ring-necked bird with long tail. One side includes incised dots in front of the bird's bill, representing berries or seeds on which the bird is feeding. Brushed cobalt highlights to handle terminals. This jar is consistent in form and handle construction to pieces produced in Albany, New York during the first decade of the 19th century, most notably those made at the shop of pottery owner, Paul Cushman. The pot and its incised designs were likely crafted by potters, Jonah or Calvin Boynton. Few examples of Albany, NY stoneware are known featuring an incised bird on both sides. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, from a fifty-year private collection. Heavy chipping to base. A wide, in-the-firing clay separation on interior, visible as a recessed area with faint vertical line on exterior. A 4 1/2" vertical surface line below one bird's tail. H 12".