Extremely Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Incised and Impressed Floral and Eagle Motifs, Stamped "C. CROLIUS / MANHATTAN, WELLS / NEW-YORK", Clarkson Crolius, Sr., Manhattan, NY early 19th century, ovoid jar with footed base and open loop handles, decorated under each handle with an impressed and cobalt-highlighted design of a spread-winged eagle standing on a mound. Impressed on the front with the cobalt-highlighted maker's mark, "C. CROLIUS", and on the reverse with the remainder of the mark, "MANHATTAN-WELLS / NEW-YORK". Decorated below these stamps on the front and reverse with an impressed design of a flower blossom surrounded by incised leaves, all highlighted in cobalt slip. Additional cobalt highlights to the handle terminals. This jar is one of two Crolius examples we have seen with an impressed eagle motif. The rarity and decorative appeal of this work is compounded by the impressed and incised floral motifs appearing on the front and reverse. Additionally, the stamping of sections of the maker's mark on opposing sides of the jar, as opposed to the entire mark being impressed on the front, is a highly unusual treatment for this maker. This work's four-sided decoration, which incorporate the elusive eagle motif, rank it among the finest signed Crolius jars known. Its eagle designs reveal a growing sense of nationalism for the young country and boldly profess America's independence as a stoneware producer. Provenance: Robert Meltzer Collection. This jar survives in remarkable, excellent condition with a very minor post-firing base nick and minor in-the-firing flaws typical of stoneware of this age and origin. H 12".
