Sold! $21,000.
Important Anna Pottery Salt-Glazed Stoneware Temperance Jug with Incised Figural and Brushed Cobalt Decoration, Signed "Anna Pottery / Anna Ills," Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, Anna, IL, circa 1880, orb-shaped jug with tall spout and squared mouth, decorated with ten hand-modeled snakes applied in various slithering and coiled poses around the body of the jug, the handle in the form of a large snake with gaping mouth devouring the torso of man protruding from the vessel's front. Three other coated figures, seemingly trapped headfirst inside the jug, protrude from the wall of the vessel around its midsection. Replete with intricate detail, this creation includes painstakingly incised scaling throughout the snakes' bodies, incised seams along the garments of the figures, and delicate incised and modeled features to the central figure (down to incised teeth and tongue) accurately conveying the anguish engendered by his situation. This jug takes its overwhelmingly decorative focus a step further with a rare treatment of extravagant incised leaves and crosshatching canvassing the body of the jug, incised triangle and coggled crosshatching at the spout, and scalloped chip carving to the base. The piece is finished with brushed cobalt spotting throughout the snakes, highlights to their eyes, and highlights throughout the applied human figures, all under a clear salt glaze. This exquisitely-decorated masterwork showcases the Kirkpatrick brothers' amazing ability to bring clay to life. Distinguished by its abundance of snakes, over-the-top incised decoration, and desirable salt-and-cobalt glaze, this jug survives as an exceptionally fine example of the Kirkpatricks' ingenious workmanship. A cornerstone piece from the collection of noted folk art enthusiasts, George H. Meyer and Kay White Meyer, this lot will include a copy of their book, Early American Face Jugs, in which it is featured. Exhibited: "Early American Face Jugs from the George H. Meyer Collection," Fenimore Art Museum and South Carolina State Museum, 2019-2021. Literature: Illustrated in Meyer and Meyer, Early American Face Jugs, pg. 184. Provenance: Sotheby's Sale 7085, lot 1806, 1989; Ex-George H. Meyer and Kay White Meyer Collection. Large losses to applied decoration, typical of this form. A small spout chip. A 4 1/2" firing crack to underside. H 10 1/2".
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