Very Fine Crolius Family Stoneware Jar w/ Incised Decoration, Manhattan, circa 1790

July 21, 2018 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 120

Price Realized: $590.00

($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.

July 21, 2018 Auction Catalog

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Rare and Very Fine One-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Incised Foliate Motif, attributed to the Crolius Family, Manhattan, NY, circa 1790, ovoid jar with footed base and heavily-tooled shoulder, decorated on the front and reverse with a deftly-incised and cobalt-highlighted design of two leaves emanating from a central bud. The decoration includes an incised stripe inside each of the leaves, formed from a two-pronged stylus, which has been left void of any cobalt decoration. Additional vertical, scale-like strokes appear in the upper portion of the leaves, while combed incising appears in the bottom halves of the leaves, as well as accenting the circular bud at center and the projection extending vertically from it. Simpler variants of this iconic design would appear on Manhattan stoneware for roughly two-and-a-half more decades, most notably on the work of Clarkson Crolius, Sr. The combed accents and use of "hollow", undecorated portions of the leaves relate this work to 18th century Westerwald products. A lovely example of an early Manhattan, NY jar. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, purchased by the consignor decades ago. A network of sealed cracks to one side, including a possible tightly-reglued 1 1/4" wedge at midsection. Base chips. A 3/4" in-the-firing contact mark to one side, including a small piece of adhered clay, typical of pieces of this age and origin.