Outstanding Glazed Redware Ring Flask with Profuse Copper and Manganese Decoration over a Yellow-Slip Ground, New York State or New England origin, probably Nathaniel Rochester, West Bloomfield, NY, or Nathaniel Seymour, West Hartford, CT, late 18th or early 19th century, wheel-thrown, ring-shaped form with applied, stepped pouring spout and applied clay feet with scored undersides. Surface dipped in white slip, profusely-decorated with copper and manganese brushwork, and covered in a heavy lead glaze, producing a bright yellow coloration to the flask's slip coating. This object exhibits the color and flair one seeks in the best examples of early American redware. The decorator's employment of haphazard slashed and X-shaped slipwork creates a wonderful folk aesthetic. The most well-known Northeastern potters to use heavy amounts of yellow and green slip together are Nathaniel Rochester of West Bloomfield, NY and Nathaniel Seymour of West Hartford, CT, both possible makers of this masterwork. Arguably the finest example of this form that we have ever offered. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, recently discovered in a long-term PA antiques collection. Flakes to slip. Some expected wear to spout. Glazed surface retains a brilliant luster. H 10 1/2".
