Extremely Rare and Important Ten-Gallon Michigan Stoneware Advertising Jar, Signed "From Balsley Detroit," Dated 1859, ovoid jar with heavily-tooled shoulder, squared rim, and applied lug handles, the shoulder with incised and cobalt-highlighted inscription "From Balsley Detroit". Body of jar cobalt-decorated with heavy, leaf-shaped brushwork surrounding the incised and cobalt-highlighted inscription, "L. Bradley / Wholesale Grocer / Marshall". Base inscribed in cobalt "No 10 / 1859". Large cobalt highlights to handle terminals. The incised maker's signature at the top of this jar, "From Balsley Detroit" refers to father and son stoneware potters, Samuel and Theodore Balsley. Both men were born in Pennsylvania and were living in Pittsburgh in 1850, the family having relocated to Detroit by 1859, when this jar was manufactured. While a number of stoneware vessels representing the Balsleys' Detroit products survive, impressed "T.S. BALSLEY / MANUFACTURER / DETROIT, MICH.," this jar most likely represents the earliest-known surviving example of their work. The 1860 federal census for Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan, identifies the grocer for whom this jar was made as Lemuel Bradley, born circa 1817 in Vermont; this large, showy piece was presumably made for display in the front of his store. Few Michigan stoneware pieces of this size and decorative quality exist today, making this one of the finest examples of Michigan stoneware known. A minor rim chip and a 1 5/8" rim chip with 3 1/2" hairline descending from it. Long, glazed-over horizontal surface line at base, which occcurred in the firing and is not visible on the interior. A few base chips. A 1 7/8" base flake, primarily visible on underside. A few other base chips. A very faint 2" X-shaped surface line on reverse, which is not visible on interior and likely occurred in the firing. A chip to each handle. H 20 1/2".
Special Note: Due to this object's large size, we are unable to ship it using our normal in-house shipping service. It must either be picked up by the high bidder, or special arrangements must be made by the high bidder for pick up and / or shipping by a third party. If you have any questions, please contact us; we are certainly able to recommend options for third party shippers ahead of time that you can contact for a quote.
