Exceptional M. & T. MILLER / NEWPORT, PA Stoneware Jug w/ Elaborate Bird and Floral Decoration

July 20, 2019 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 150

Price Realized: $35,400.00

($30,000 hammer, plus 18% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 5 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.

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Exceptional Four-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Exuberant Bird and Floral Decoration, Stamped "M. & T. MILLER / NEWPORT, PA", circa 1870, cylindrical jug with semi-rounded spout, decorated with an elaborate brushed design of a bird surrounded by a massive tulip plant bearing three large leaves, two blossoms with stamens, and additional dashed strokes emanating between the flowers and leaves. Cobalt highlights to handle terminals. This striking decoration was likely inspired by a Cowden & Wilcox motif from nearby Harrisburg, which features a similar bird within a floral spray, considered one of the pottery's most desirable designs. Michael and Theophilus Miller stoneware has come to be prized both for its rarity and for the extravagant use of cobalt in their best designs. This jug ranks among the most heavily-decorated pieces of M. & T. Miller stoneware that we have seen, incorporating three classic Central Pennsylvania motifs, the songbird, the leaf, and the spitting tulip, into one outstanding design. This jug survives in rarely-found excellent, essentially as-made condition. H 16 1/2".