Important and Possibly Unique Large-Sized Stoneware Face Vessel Fragment attrib. James Hamilton, Beaver, PA, c1850
Winter 2025 Auction of the Carole Wahler Collection
Lot #: 233
Estimate: $2,500-$4,000.A Note About Estimates
Minimum Bid: $500.
Important and Possibly Unique Large-Sized Stoneware Face Vessel Fragment with Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to James Hamilton, Beaver, PA, circa 1850, ovoid form with tooled shoulder and semi-rounded rim, the remaining handle in the form of a ridged, open loop, the handle terminals embellished with impressed screwheads. Front of vessel decorated with a hand-modeled and applied clay face including a rounded forehead, eyes with cobalt pupils and heavily-incised eyelashes, clay "coleslaw" eyebrows above, a pointed nose with carved nostrils, a frowning mouth with incised teeth, and a prominent chin. Brush-decorated on each side with large meandering vines bearing open-centered tulips and graduated leaves. The decoration, color of the clay, and use of impressed screwhead stamping leads to a firm attribution to the Beaver, Pennsylvania school of stoneware potters and James Hamilton as its specific maker. In the years following the creation of this masterwork, Hamilton would establish a pottery further south in Greensboro, Pennsylvania, bringing with him the floral motifs seen on this pot and establishing himself as one of Western Pennsylvania's most successful stoneware manufacturers. For the next two decades, Hamilton's work would continue to feature variants of the design seen on this piece. Whether this work was made as a cooler or jar is unclear. However, its extraordinary size places its intact capacity at somewhere in the fifteen to twenty-five gallon range, making it among the largest 19th century American face vessels known. While applied face decoration can be found on several works by the Remmeys of Philadelphia and two pieces by Elisha B. Hyssong of Cassville, to our knowledge no other face vessels from this region of the state have surfaced. If intact, this lot would rank among the few greatest examples of Western Pennsylvania stoneware in existence. Roughly half of the vessel remains. Missing proper right handle. In-the-firing loss to coleslaw of proper left eyebrow. A 2 1/2" flake to proper left side of vessel's front. Remaining handle with a chip, two minor nicks, and some edge wear. H 17 1/2" ; Circum. 64".
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.
Click images to enlarge.
