Extremely Rare "T G" Stoneware Jar, probably Thomas Gay, Union County, NC, circa 1860

Summer 2021 Stoneware Auction

Lot #: 363

Price Realized: $720.00

($600 hammer, plus 20% buyer's premium)

PLEASE NOTE: This result is 3 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.

Summer 2021 Auction Catalog

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Exceedingly Rare and Important Seven-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar, Stamped Twice "T G," probably Thomas Gay, Union County, NC, circa 1860, ovoid jar with flared rim and distinctive raised-tab handles, the surface covered in an olive-green alkaline glaze. Incised "7" at shoulder. Impressed on the shoulder and base with the raised-face maker's mark, "T G." To our knowledge, this stamp is previously undocumented. Based on the jar's glaze, form, heavy throw lines, and touches of rutile (more prominent on the interior and fainter around the jar's shoulder), we believe it was made in North Carolina by Thomas Gay, brother of Kershaw County, South Carolina and Union County, North Carolina potter, Isaac Gay. Similar traits, including the pronounced throw lines and use of rutile, can be seen in Isaac Gay's Union County, North Carolina products. Thomas Gay, the lesser-known of the two brothers, was an influential figure in the Union County, North Carolina stoneware tradition, probably training potter, Nimrod Broom, who then trained William Franklin Outen, father of Rufus Franklin Outen, a prolific potter active until 1975 in Matthews, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Provenance: A recently-surfaced example. Very nice condition. Three tight lines at base, each measuring approximately 3" long, extending onto underside. Right handle with a minor chip and tight crack along edge. H 16 3/4".