Very Fine New Jersey Stoneware Jug w/ Impressed Fish Decoration

March 24, 2018 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 291

Price Realized: $1,770.00

($1,500 hammer, plus 18% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 6 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 24, 2018 Auction Catalog

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Fine and Rare Three-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Impressed Fish, Morgan and Van Wickle, Old Bridge, NJ or possibly Thomas Warne, South Amboy, NJ, circa 1810's, ovoid jug with heavily-tooled spout and two rows of coggled oval decoration at shoulder, impressed with a cobalt-highlighted design of a fish within an oval border. These oval coggles show up on shards or signed work from three different New Jersey potteries: Morgan and Van Wickle (Old Bridge), the Bissett pottery (Old Bridge), and Thomas Warne (South Amboy). The fish medallion on this jug, however, is most closely related to a similar eagle stamp that was found as part of Old Bridge excavations during the 20th century, and the jug as a whole seems to line up well with an eagle-decorated jug discussed by early Old Bridge researchers Robert J. Sim and James Brown in their correspondence. It is possible, given its overall similarity to some signed "T. WARNE" examples, that this jug was actually produced by Warne in South Amboy, but it is much more probably an Old Bridge product. Brushed cobalt daub to shoulder and upper handle terminal. A desirable figural motif, surviving in exceptional condition. Few New Jersey pieces from this period are found in such a strong state of preservation. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, purchased by the consignor decades ago. Remarkable, excellent condition with a few minor base chips.