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Extremely Rare Pair of Redware Pig Figures, Berks County, PA origin, second or third quarter 19th century, each wheel-thrown with applied legs, ears, and tail, featuring heavily-incised hair and details to face and hooves. Surfaces decorated with splashed manganese and covered in a clear lead glaze. Small vent hole in rear of each. Related to pig flasks produced by Joseph Henne of Bern Township, Berks County, PA, this pair is the first that we have seen modeled in the form of decorative figures and not as a drinking vessel. Additional significance lies in the fact that these were made as a pair as we can find no evidence of other paired ceramic pig forms by any other 19th century American potters. An outstanding new discovery in Pennsylvania figural redware. Provenance: Recently found in a New England home. Literature: For a related pig flask, see Hollander, American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, fig. 114, p. 150. Larger with losses to ears, chips to snout and tail, a chip to one front foot, and some glaze loss to legs and feet. Smaller with missing ear, loss to other ear, chips to snout, wear to tail, and some glaze wear to legs and feet. L (of larger) 9" ; L (of smaller) 8 3/4".
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