Exceedingly Rare and Important Three-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Incised Military Figure's Bust, Stamped "PARR & BURLAND", Baltimore, MD, circa 1815, ovoid jar with open loop handles, footed base, and unusual, heavily-tooled collar, the front decorated with an incised and cobalt-highlighted design of a man's bust with prominent nose, upswept hair, sideburns, and crosshatched coat with large buttons. A cobalt floral motif and the elusive maker's mark, "PARR & BURLAND", appear to the figure's right. Additional light cobalt designs are applied to the left of the figure. The reverse features a light cobalt floral motif emanating from a three-gallon capacity mark. A lightly-incised outline of a man's face can be seen to the right of the capacity mark. Cobalt brushwork decorates the handle terminals and a deeply-incised vertical slash mark, the purpose of which is unknown, appears under one handle. Approximately five examples of signed Parr & Burland stoneware are known. This stamp was used by the highly-influential potter, David Parr, Sr., while working in partnership with James Burland circa 1820. Parr was involved in a number of pottery operations during the formative years of Baltimore's cobalt-decorated stoneware industry. He would eventually establish his own shop, which was managed for decades after his death in 1832 by his wife, Margaret Parr, and son, James L. Parr. While David Parr, Sr.'s potting style and decorative treatments influenced the work of potters throughout the Mid-Atlantic and South, a lack of signed examples of his work left him largely unrecognized until the 21st century. The stamp, "PARR & BURLAND", is the only maker's mark he is known to have used. Important in its signature alone, this jar also carries strong decorative appeal and significant rarity in its incised design of a human profile. The portrait on this piece may represent one of the "Defenders of Baltimore" during the War of 1812 or possibly future U.S. president, Andrew Jackson, who became a national hero in 1815, the same year the Parr & Burland shop opened, with his victory serving as Major General in the Battle of New Orleans. To date, only two examples of Baltimore stoneware are known with incised human decorations. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in Southern MD. This jar surives in rarely-found, essentially as-made condition with a few very minor base nicks.
