Exceptional Five-Gallon Stoneware Cream Jar with Cobalt Decoration of a Parrot Clutching a Cluster of Cherries, Stamped "HARRINGTON & BURGER / ROCHESTER", New York State origin, circa 1852-1854, ovoid jar with applied lug handles, decorated with a large slip-trailed design of a crested parrot perched in a tree, grasping a cluster of cherries in its foot, the tree flanked by bushes on a stylized ground. Meticulously-slip-trailed feathers appear throughout the bird's back, breast, wing, and face. Parrot measures an impressive 9 1/2" from head to tail, while the entire design, from ground to treetop, stands 11 1/2" tall. Slip-trailed "5." to shoulder. Strong cobalt highlight to the maker's mark, "HARRINGTON & BURGER / ROCHESTER", representing the short-lived partnership of two of New York State's leading potters, Thompson Harrington and John Burger. The jar's decoration, extravagant in size and detail, is one of the finest slip-trailed bird designs we have ever offered; it was possibly inspired by natural history prints published years prior. Engravings from the 1833 work "The Miscellany of Natural History, Volume I, Parrots, created by an associate of John James Audubon, Joseph Kidd (1806/8-1889)," share a strong likeness in composition to the design found on this jar. The jar's highly artistic design and striking color would set the standard for American stoneware production in mid 19th century New York. This motif even served as the inspiration for a design found in the work of Julius and Edward Norton of Bennington, Vermont, circa 1855, made shortly after this jar's production. While pieces bearing the mark of Harrington & Burger occasionally succumbed to oversalting in the kiln, resulting in a blurry decoration, the design on this jar remains crisp, dark, and vibrant. The subject matter, color, size, and condition of the jar, set this example apart as one of the finest examples of Rochester, NY stoneware to come to auction in years. Provenance: Property of a New York State collector.Excellent condition with a 4" hairline from rim on reverse. H 15 1/8".
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