Very Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Profuse Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "A. KEISTER &. CO. / STRASBURG, VA", circa 1850, ovoid pitcher with tall, narrow collar and heavily-beaded rim, the front decorated with a brushed design of an open-centered tulip surmounted by a fan-shaped blossom, flanked by two additional tulips emanating from leafy stems. Large oval cobalt brushwork flanks the spout and a cobalt band highlights the rim. Impressed on body with the maker's mark, "A. KEISTER &. CO. / STRASBURG. VA.", below a raised-face two-gallon capacity mark. The stamp of Adam Keister, Sr., as seen on this pitcher, is among the most desirable maker's mark from the prolific potting town of Strasburg, VA. Signed pitchers by this maker are considered very rare. The desirability of this example is further strengthened by the pitcher's high decorative appeal, which include a large two-gallon capacity and bold floral design related to the work of Shenandoah Valley master, Solomon Bell, with whom the Keister family associated. Excellent condition with some minor rim chips and some typical, small in-the-firing flaws to surface. H 14".
