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Outstanding Four-Gallon Salt-Glazed Stoneware Jar with Large Incised Bird and Cricket Decoration, attributed to Chester Webster, Randolph County, NC, circa 1850, ovoid jar with ribbed lug handles and heavy tooling to shoulder and rim, decorated with a large incised design of a crested bird standing on a stylized, grassy ground with shrubs, opening its mouth to feed on an insect. Bird motif features elaborate incised details throughout including a heart-shaped wing with dashed and stippled incising, profuse stippled incising to the body and face, and ring at its neck. Reverse incised with an intricate design of a flower bud emanating from splayed leaves below a number "4." Surface dipped in a reddish-brown iron-oxide solution and covered in a clear salt glaze with drips and appealing runs to upper body. A fine example of Webster's work with large and appealing subject matter, showcasing his Hartford, Connecticut schooling in its incised motifs and iron-dipped treatment. A related jar resides in the North Carolina Museum of Art. Literature: Illustrated and discussed in Scarborough, North Carolina Decorated Stoneware: The Webster School of Folk Potters, first edition, pg. 66, Figure 65, second edition, pg. 55, Figure 54 (color). Two restored sections to rim, each measuring approximately 3" x x 1 1/8". A few small, unrestored rim chips. A long thin, unrestored crack to midsection, primarily on front, not visible on interior. H 14 1/2".
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