Extremely Rare and Important Six-Gallon Stoneware Crock with Elaborate Cobalt Rooster Decoration, Stamped "J. BURGER, JR. / ROCHESTER N.Y.," circa 1880-1885, cylindrical crock with tooled shoulder, applied lug handles, and semi-rounded rim, decorated with a slip-trailed design of a crowing rooster, standing atop a grassy lawn. Slip-trailed 6 to shoulder. Brushed cobalt highlights to handle terminals. While the subject matter is highly unusual for pieces produced at the John Burger, Jr. pottery, the execution of the design is even rarer- featuring a painterly, realistic style with an attention to detail uncommon to pieces from this period. Of great significance is the fact that the design closely follows a rooster motif executed decades prior by John Burger, Sr. (1811-1885) on a six-gallon churn bearing his maker's mark, "JOHN BURGER / ROCHESTER." The nearly identical appearance of the designs verifies that an elderly John Burger, Sr. decorated this crock at his son's pottery within five years of his death. The inception of the John Burger, Jr. stamp around 1880 and John Burger, Sr.'s death in 1885 dates this work circa 1880-1885. The design is important to our understanding of the Rochester stoneware industry as it indicates John Burger, Sr., regarded as the greatest stoneware decorator of 19th century America, was still decorating pieces at his family's pottery until his final years, even with a confidence and steadiness of hand seen in his much earlier work. An approximately 3 1/2" restored flake to front of rim on right side of crock's front with a 2 1/4" line descending from it. otherwise excellent condition with a small base chip to front and a short surface scratch below one handle. H 13 1/2".
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