Extremely Rare Six-Gallon Stoneware Cooler with Incised Federal Eagle Decoration, Inscribed "Seymour Colvin", Stamped Twice "MOORE & COLVIN / ? O.," Tallmadge, OH origin, circa 1850, ovoid, jug-form cooler with semi-squared rim, open handles, and squared bunghole; front decorated with an incised and cobalt-highlighted Federal eagle design with heart-shaped shield across its chest and stylized olive branch and arrows in its talons. Incised wavy lines surround the design, and the name of the potter, "Seymour Colvin." A brushed foliate design appears below. Cobalt highlights are additionally brushed at the handle terminals, base of spout, and encompassing the bunghole, as well as over the maker's mark and capacity mark. A second Moore & Colvin maker's mark appears on the reverse. Seymour Colvin, his two brothers, Almer and Byron, and various descendants produced stoneware in Northeastern Ohio, West Virginia, and Nebraska. Colvin is perhaps most well known for purchasing J.P. Parker's pottery in Jane Lew, WV in 1876 and establishing an operation there with his sons that would last into the early 20th century. The hand-incised signature on the cooler, an early masterwork by Colvin, indicates the pride he took in this finely potted and decorated creation. A small number of exceptional pieces from the Jane Lew period of Colvin and his sons also feature hand-inscribed signatures brushed in cobalt. Unlike other signed Moore & Colvin pieces from Ohio, the letter "O." for Ohio appears on a second line below the firm name on the front, a trait not seen on Moore & Colvin's typical mark, along with a possible town or county name before it. This cooler is among the most important examples of Ohio stoneware to come to auction in years, combining an iconic American motif with an exceptional form and rare maker's mark. It is believed to be Seymour Colvin's greatest surviving work. Excellent condition with a 2 3/4" vertical hairline at base, continuing approximately 2" onto underside. H 17 1/2". H 17 1/2".
