The Lifetime Collection of Carole Carpenter Wahler

Size, Form, and Condition. Exceptional Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Face Harvest Jug, Edgefield District, SC origin, third quarter 19th century.

Affectionately referred to by Wahler as "Green Jeans," this work is among the finest American face vessels that we have ever offered. A select group of related Edgefield face vessels by the same maker or school are known. All are connected by their prodigious size, similar facial features, and glaze, with most also featuring a scarce harvest or "monkey" jug form. A prominent example from this group in the collection of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia is incised with the name, "Joe Kirksey." Another resides in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. An outstanding example, combining size, form, condition, and expressive modeling to the face.

Literature: For two related examples, see Baldwin, Great and Noble Jar, p. 81, fig. 3.10 and back cover. Provenance: Purchased by Wahler in 1987 for $11,500. H 9".

J. A. LOWE. Exceedingly Rare and Important Glazed Redware Jar with Dipped Manganese Decoration, Stamped "J. A. LOWE," John Alexander Lowe (1833-1902), Greene County, TN, circa 1852-1862.

This iconic jar set a record for a piece of 19th century pottery made in the state of Tennessee when it sold at Case Antiques in Knoxville, TN for $63,000 including buyer's premium in 2008. At the time, it was the only marked example of the potter's work known.

Wahler's extensive research on Tennessee potters has yielded a significant amount of information on Lowe's life and career. He operated a pottery in Greene County near the Harmon Cemetery, where hundreds of sherds bearing his maker's mark have been excavated. He is perhaps most well-known as an associate of the artistic potter and Union sympathist, Christopher Alexander Haun (1821-1861). Haun was hanged by the Confederate army on December 11, 1861 for participating in the burning of the Lick Creek railroad bridge, one of nine strategic bridges that President Lincoln had encouraged the destruction of. One of two surviving letters written by Haun to his wife, Elizabeth, while imprisoned before his execution names "Low," presumably John Alexander Lowe, as one of three potters to "finish off that ware" to sell after his death. Lowe's work strongly resembles that of Haun's, suggesting he apprenticed under him. Both potters used related jar forms, coggled maker's marks, and handle constructions with impressed treatments. Lowe enlisted in the Confederate Army only two days after Haun's hanging. Like so many other potters of the period, Lowe progressively moved west; in 1865, he was living in Indiana and by 1880 he had moved to Arkansas, where he would live the remainder of his life.

January's auction of the Carole Wahler Collection offers a rare opportunity to acquire one of the most famous redware pieces made in the state of Tennessee, valued for its scarcity, artistic quality, and unusually strong condition. Provenance: Purchased by Wahler at Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals, Knoxville, TN, September 7, 2008, lot 64. H 13 5/8".

Legendary Cooler. Important and Possibly Unique Five-Gallon Lidded Stoneware Water Cooler with Incised Floral Decoration, Inscribed "Made by Jn Floyd / June 30 1857 / Knox Couty(sic) Tenn," John Floyd at the Graves Pottery, Knox County, TN, 1857.

One of the finest examples of Tennessee stoneware known, this vessel combines form, decoration, and an exceedingly rare signature to produce a Southern masterwork of great significance to the migration of American ceramic traditions. Its curious incised decoration strongly connects it to the Manhattan potting tradition and suggests a possible connection between Floyd and Manhattan-trained potter, John Morgan, of Rockbridge County, VA or someone else.

Provenance: Purchased by Wahler at Garth's Auction, Delaware, OH in 1984. Exhibited: Handed Down, 1986; Made in East Tennessee: Pottery, Museum of East Tennessee History, 1996. Literature: Illustrated in White, Great Road Style: The Decorative Arts Legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, p. 152; Illustrated in Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011, p. 102, fig. 107, p. 120, pl. 18, p. 208. H (including lid) 18 1/2".

Form, Size, and Maker. Exceedingly Rare and Important Oversized Stoneware Presentation Ring Jug with Elaborate Cobalt Decoration, Inscribed "Samuel Davault / June 25 / 1896," attributed to the Decker Pottery, Washington County, TN, circa 1872-1910. The largest 19th century American stoneware ring jug that we are aware of as well as the only documented cobalt-decorated example of the form by the Decker family. Wahler describes this piece is her notes with "This is the best Decker ring bottle known." Exhibited: Art of Tennessee, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, September 13, 2003 to January 18, 2004; Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. Literature: Illustrated in Wahler, Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Part One, p. 167, pl. 25, p. 221. H 15 3/4".

Extremely Rare Stoneware Flowerpot with Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to the Decker Pottery, Washington County, TN, circa 1872-1910. Possibly the only known cobalt-decorated stoneware flowerpot by the Decker family, this example features strong brushwork inspired by the Parr family of Baltimore and Richmond as well as a highly unusual bowl-like shape. Exhibited: Made in East Tennessee: Pottery, Museum of East Tennessee History, 1996; Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. Literature: Illustrated in White, Great Road Style: The Decorative Arts Legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, p. 152; Illustrated in Wahler, Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, Part One, p. 152, pl. 26, and p. 220. Provenance: In her notes, Wahler states, "I purchased this a long time ago [2/10] from Marc King for 1000. It is the only such I have seen." H 5 1/2" ; Diam. 9 3/4".

Early Drake. Very Rare Three-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Inscribed "17th october 1836," attributed to David Drake at the Pottery of Ramey, Rhodes, and Company, Pottersville, Edgefield District, SC, 1836.

The date on this jug indicates it was made while Drake was still active at Pottersville, the site where he may have learned to pot, shortly after a change in ownership of the pottery. Baldwin's Great and Noble Jar notes that the owners of the Pottersville pottery, Reuben Drake, Collin Rhodes, and Nathaniel Ramey, dissolved their partnership in September of 1836, when Reuben Drake sold his interest to Robert Mathis. At this time, the new partnership of Ramey, Rhodes, and Company was formed (Koverman, p. 36). The jug's October date reveals the vessel was made within a month of this newly-established ownership. Characteristic of Drake's early work, this jug features a lighter color to the glaze and a single slash hallmark that would later evolve into two slashes.

As relatively few inscribed examples of David Drake pottery from this period have survived, this jug is regarded as a noteworthy early example within the potter's impressive body of work. Literature: Listed in Goldberg and Witkowski, "Beneath His Magic Touch: The Dated Vessels of the African-American Slave Potter Dave," Ceramics in America 2006, p. 67. Provenance: Although a date of acquisition is unknown to us, Wahler noted in her database that Jill Beute Koverman visited her to document the jug in 1997. H 14 1/2".

Rare and Fine Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Pitcher with Two-Color Slip Decoration, attributed to Phoenix Factory, Shaw's Creek, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1840. In her notes, Wahler states the following about this pitcher: "Birthday present to myself lots of years ago. One of our best Edgefield pieces.” H 8 1/4".

Fine Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Cake Crock with Kaolin Slip Decoration, Stamped "CHANDLER / MAKER," Thomas Chandler, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1850. Provenance: Ex-Howard Smith. Literature: Illustrated in Smith, Index of Southern Potters. H 7 1/4" ; Diam. 8 1/4".

Outstanding Salt-and-Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Pitcher with Profuse Punchwork Decoration, Inscribed "C.T. Brown / Rock MiLLS," Charles Thomas "Charley" Brown, Rock Mills, AL origin. This striking pitcher features an unusual combination of salt glazing on the exterior and alkaline glaze on the interior. According to Brackner's Alabama Folk Pottery, the Georgia-trained Charles Thomas "Charley" Brown (1869-1934) "was one of the most prolific potters of Rock Mills. . . He never owned his own shop but worked for others, including Noah Mapp in Bacon Level, the Boggs of Rock Mills, and the Smiths in Lawley" (Brackner, p. 115, 219). This pitcher's imaginative incised decoration and stylish form rank it among the more expressive examples of Alabama salt-glazed stoneware known. Literature: Illustrated in Brackner, Alabama Folk Pottery, p. 119. H 11".

Incredible Incising. Exceptional Four-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar with Profuse Incised Decoration, attributed to the Jacob Eichelberger Pottery, Talladega County, AL, circa 1875. Among the finest displays of the region's distinctive incised treatment known, with combed banding covering three-quarters of the vessel's height. H 17".

Alabama Masterwork. Outstanding Alkaline-Glazed Lidded Stoneware Jar with Impressed Leaf Decoration, AL origin, mid to late 19th century. Exceptional form and appealing mix of incised and impressed treatments characteristic of the region. Literature: For related examples of this form, see Brackner, Alabama Folk Pottery, cover, interior cover page, p. 32, 77. Provenance: Purchased from Phil Wingard in 2013. H (including lid) 9 3/4".

Form and Glaze. Rare and Fine Copper-Glazed Redware Jar, attributed to Christopher Alexander Haun (1821-1861), Greene County, TN, circa 1840-1860.

Haun's artistic prowess as a potter are evidenced in the forms and glazes of a small group of surviving redware pieces bearing his maker's mark or attributed to his hand. He sympathized with the Union during the Civil War and on November 8, 1861 participated in the burning of a Confederate railroad bridge along Lick Creek in Greene County, Tennessee. A plan to burn nine bridges had been devised by local minister, Reverend William Blount Carter, and was supported by President Lincoln, with the promise that a Union regiment would be provided to protect those involved. However, Haun, along with four other Union loyalist potters, were later captured, convicted of treason, and hung by the Confederacy. A moving letter written by Haun to his wife, Elizabeth, while imprisoned before his hanging, asked her to "have Bohanan, Hinshaw or Low to finish off that ware and do the best you can with it for your support." A figure of both artistic and historical significance, Haun carries a two-fold legacy, regarded today as the state's most gifted potter and a man of principle who died for the Union cause.

Exhibited: Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. Provenance: Originally found in Greene County, TN in 1996. H 14 3/4".

Very Rare Glazed Redware Pitcher with Three-Color Slip Decoration, attributed to Nathaniel Rochester, West Bloomfield, NY, circa 1818-1831. H 10".

Rare Small-Sized Redware Sugar Jar with Two-Color Slip Decoration, Alamance County, NC origin, mid 19th century. Exceptional size and unusual partially-dipped slip treatment. Provenance: Purchased by Wahler at Leland Little Auctions, Hillsborough, NC, September 17, 2011, lot 45; deaccessioned by MESDA. Areas of surface wear including areas of wears to slip. H 6 1/8".

Rare and Fine Three-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Freehand Cobalt Decoration, Stamped "D.G. THOMPSON / Morgantown," WV origin, circa 1870. H 13".

Extremely Rare One-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Cobalt Floral and Potted Flower Motifs, Stamped "B.C. MILBURN, / ALEXANDRIA, D.C," circa 1840. One of a small number of pieces known bearing Milburn's earliest maker's mark, this work features outstanding decoration and color. H 9".

Rare Two-Gallon Stoneware Pitcher with Elaborate Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "A. KEISTER & .CO / STRASBURG, VA.," circa 1850. Provenance: Purchased from Joan Darnall Country Antiques and Interiors, Akron, OH, March 30, 1984. H 14 1/4".

Very Rare Large-Sized Stoneware Vase with Cobalt Decoration, Northeastern U.S. origin, mid 19th century. Provenance: A Bicentennial Special Auction, Folk Art Antiques personally selected by Walter Himmelreich, Pennypacker Auction Centre, Reading, PA, Monday June 7, 1976; ex-James and Nancy Glazer; Purchased by Wahler at The Pennsylvania German Collection of Edward & Audrey Kornowski, Pook & Pook, Inc., Downingtown, PA, September 28, 1996, lot 69. H 14".

Fine Lidded Stoneware Jar with Brown Slip Floral Decoration, attributed to the Whelchel Family, Union County, SC, late 19th century. H (including lid) 10 1/2".

Exceptional Two-Gallon Salt-Glazed Stoneware Jug with Heavy Glaze Runs, attributed to the Craven Family, Randolph or Moore County, NC, mid 19th century. H 13 3/4".

South Carolina Masterwork. Important and Probably Unique Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Inscribed "Aug the 30 / 1864 / Maid an Sold at / A low price fore Confedrent / Money by me Thomas Ownbey," Thomas Owenby, Union District, SC, 1864.

Regarded as Owenby's masterwork, this jug is perhaps the most famous example of South Carolina stoneware made outside of the Edgefield District. Poking fun at the value of the Confederate dollar nearing the end of the Civil War, this work gives insight into Owenby the person as well as the potter. Previously owned by legendary collector, Georgeanna Greer, this jug was the top lot in the first sale of her pottery at Harmer Rooke Galleries in New York on November 18, 1992, bringing a total of $18,150, including buyer's premium. Outside of the work of David Drake, few South Carolina stoneware objects feature elaborate inscriptions of this quality.

Exhibited: Crossroads of Clay, McKissick Museum, The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 1990. Literature: Illustrated in Greer, American Stonewares, p. 147; Illustrated in Crossroads of Clay: The Southern Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Tradition, p. 81; Illustrated in Baldwin, Great and Noble Jar, p. 68. Provenance: Acquired by Wahler at The Georgeanna H. Greer Collection of Important American Stoneware, Harmer Rooke Galleries, New York, NY, November 18, 1992, lot 377. H 14".

The Honorable Frederick Douglass. Highly Important Salt-Glazed Stoneware Face Harvest Jug, Inscribed "The Hon. Fred Dougless" on Reverse and "Negro” on Underside, Stamped "J.A. ROBERTS / COOKEVILLE / POTTERY / TENN / 25 CTS.," circa 1895.

Regarded as the masterwork of Cookeville, TN potter, John A. Roberts, this jug was likely made to commemorate abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, upon his death in 1895. Another undocumented face jug by Roberts, inscribed for a local African-American farmer, corroborates the potter's stance on civil rights. A third related jug, lacking inscription and maker's mark, resides in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg's Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, gifted by Rockefeller in 1935.

The sculptural quality, extraordinary condition, and large impressed maker's mark of Roberts's Frederick Douglass jug place it among the finest face vessels known from the state of Tennessee. However, its extraordinary inscription honoring America's most prominent abolitionist establish it as one of the most historically significant pieces of American stoneware known. Exhibited: Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. H 11".

Glaze and Form. Exceptional Open-Handled Redware Jar with Brown-Slip Stripe Decoration, Inscribed "C," attributed to the Cain Pottery, Sullivan County, TN, circa 1830-1880.

This iconic jar is believed to be the first piece of Tennessee earthenware ever acquired by Wahler. Its stylish potting and lavish decoration define at as a masterwork of the Cain family's production. Antiques enthusiasts may remember this jar singularly displayed on the homepage of the website for Wahler's antiques business.

Exhibited: Art of Tennessee, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, September 13, 2003 to January 18, 2004; Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. Literature: Illustrated in Wahler, Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Part One, p. 9, p. 138, fig. 147, p. 173, pl. 23, and p. 217, fig. 147.

Literature: In his essay, "A Brief History of the Discovery and Documentation of East Tennessee Earthenware," in Wahler's Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee, 1800-1900, Part One, Roddy Moore describes this jar. "On my first meeting with Marc [King], I purchased an eagle tin pie safe, but I turned down a small double-handled redware jar that I thought was from Pennsylvania- certainly nothing like that pottery was made in the South! . . . Carole's first significant earthenware purchase was in 1980 from Don Walters. It was the piece I had passed on at Marc's house that first day! She still smiles when she tells me about requiring Don to write on the receipt that if it turned out to have been made somewhere besides Tennessee that he would buy it back" (Wahler, pp. 9, 11). The original receipt for this jar, dated 11/9/80, from Don and Faye Walters of Goshen, Indiana is included with this lot, and stipulates, "Returnable if not in face as described above as to attribution." A picture of the jar included with Moore's essay is captioned, "I passed over this piece. . . on my first visit with Marc King. Jeff Camp of Richmond, Virginia, later went by King's, purchased the pot and sold it to Don Walters of Williamsburg, Virginia. Walters in turn labeled it as 'Tennessee Redware' for an antique show and Carole Wahler of Knoxville purchased it" (Wahler, p. 9).

Provenance: Originally found in Bristol, Sullivan County, TN. In her notes, Wahler states, "I purchased it from Don and Faye Walters at York. I had no idea what Tennessee earthenware looked like. . . It is one of 3 pieces that I know of which have a 'C' in glaze on the bottom." H 9".

Gorgeous Glaze. Exceptional Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Pitcher with Iron Slip Decoration, attributed to John Davis Leopard, Rusk County, TX, circa 1860-1875.

A strikingly-glazed example with a modern aesthetic, this pitcher was praised by Wahler as one of her best pieces. Her notes on this piece read as follows: "Texas Pitcher! GREAT / Published in Ant. Mag., Crossroads in Clay, Greer and a small Texas pottery book. We have them all. Still the best Texas piece I have seen. 11/12. One of our best of lots of great Southern pots. I traded Jerry for his Texas pitcher which sold at same time and is in Ant. Mag w/this pitcher. 11/15." An unsent letter from Wahler to Georgeanna Greer, dated March 30, 1990, discusses this iconic work when it was still owned by Greer: "Today, I spent four hours studying the examples in the McKissick exhibit [Crossroads of Clay]. . . the piece that stopped me in my tracks was your Leopard pitcher made in TX. I recognized it immediately from your book, but had no idea its glaze was so spectacular! Georgeanna, if I look long enough and plan to trade high enough might I hope to find such a piece?" Two years later, Wahler was able to acquire Greer's pitcher at the Harmer Rooke Galleries auction of her collection in New York for the impressive sum of $8,000.

Exhibited: Crossroads of Clay, McKissick Museum, The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 1990; Washou Brazos Show. Literature: Illustrated in Greer, American Stonewares, p. 46; "Alkaline Art," The Magazine Antiques. Provenance: Purchased by Wahler at The Georgeanna H. Greer Collection of Important American Stoneware, Harmer Rooke Galleries, January 13, 1993, lot 618. H 9 3/8".

The Earliest West Virginia Eagle? Exceedingly Rare and Important Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Incised Eagle and Bird Motifs, Stamped "WHEELING POTTERY," VA (now WV) origin, circa 1825. One of a small group of impressed "WHEELING POTTERY" pieces known, this work is among the earliest examples of marked West Virginia stoneware known and may depict the earliest rendering of an eagle on a ceramic object made in this state. Provenance: Purchased by Wahler in 2014 from the Jack Whitfield Estate of Franklin, TN. H 15".

Extremely Rare Stoneware Vase with Brown Slip Decoration, Inscribed "I AM FROM 10EC," Middle TN origin, late 19th or early 20th century. This published vase is one of a small group of brown-dipped stoneware pieces from Middle Tennessee that include an incised phrase. In this case, the phonetic, alphanumeric slogan, "I AM FROM 10EC," translates to "I AM FROM TENNESSEE." Among the finest examples known from this distinctive school of Tennessee pottery. Literature: Illustrated in Guilland, Early American Folk Pottery, p. 281. An original painting of this vase was made for the Index of American Design and is now in the Collection of the National Gallery of Art. H 11 3/4".

Outstanding Fifteen-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar, Stamped "D S," Daniel Seagle, Vale, NC, circa 1840. Daniel Seagle is praised as one of the South's most-skilled 19th century stoneware potters, with an extraordinary level of refinement to his ovoid forms. His masterfully-thrown four-handled jars are among the most iconic pottery pieces known from the state of North Carolina, regarded as the zenith of his illustrious production. Literature: Illustrated in Rubin, Southern Folk Art, p. 24. H 20 1/2".

Stylish Form. Extremely Rare Salt-Glazed Stoneware Pitcher with Applied Spout and Thumb Rest, Stamped "J.D. CRAVEN," Randolph or Moore County, NC, second half 19th century. This pitcher is the finest example of stoneware bearing Jacob Dorris Craven's individual stamp that we have offered. Wahler's notes state, "It is the only one of its shape that I have ever seen." Literature: Illustrated in Scarborough, The Craven Family of Southern Folk Potters, p. 39, fig. 27. Scarborough describes this pitcher as: "J.D. Craven 'Roman Style Pitcher' with thumb-piece. . . This variation shape shows elegance and taste not recorded in most of his later tableware." Provenance: Purchased from Jimmy Allen. H 10 3/4".

Extremely Rare Glazed Redware Jug, attributed to Silas Watkins, Randolph or Guilford Counties, NC, mid 19th century. One of a small number of attributed or signed examples of Silas Watkins redware known, this handsome jug displays his proficiency as a potter. H 11 1/2".

Exceptional Small-Sized Stoneware Presentation Jug with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Inscribed "Joseph Kernouse," attributed to George and Albert Black, Somerfield, PA, circa 1865. Arguably the finest example of Black stoneware to come to auction in a decade or more, this work is noteworthy for its extremely rare form and size, strong decoration, and highly unusual presentation inscription. Attesting to the rarity of the form alone, this lot is the first jug attributable to the Black family that we have ever offered. H 5".

Rare Squat-Form Stoneware Pitcher with Cobalt Floral Decoration, attributed to the Decker Pottery, Washington County, TN, circa 1872-1910. Exhibited: Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. H 7 1/2".

Very Rare Vertical-Handled Stoneware Jar with Cobalt Floral Decoration, Rockingham County, VA origin, attributed to Andrew Coffman at the John Zigler Pottery, Timberville, VA, circa 1835. Exceptional vertical-handled form atypical of the region. Provenance: Purchased by Wahler from Garth's Auction, Delaware, OH in 1983. H 11".

Scarce and Fine One-and-a-Half-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Exuberant Cobalt Floral Decoration, Stamped "S. BELL," Samuel Bell, Winchester or Strasburg, VA, circa 1840. Featuring elaborate dashed decoration surrounding the tulips, this jar is the best example of Bell's early work to come to auction in years. H 11".

Rare Glazed Redware Pitcher, Stamped "SOLOMON BELL / STRASBURG / Va," circa 1875. Featuring an ornamental, spurred handle, this work is one of only a small group of marked Solomon Bell redware pitchers known. H 7 7/8".

Exceptional Large-Sized Art Pottery Vase with Chinese Blue Glaze, Stamped "JUGTOWN / WARE," Jugtown, NC origin, circa 1930. H 15".

Rare and Important Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Stamped "DANL, CRIB S / TUSCALOOSA," Daniel Cribbs Pottery, Tuscaloosa, AL origin, circa 1830. According to Brackner's Alabama Folk Pottery, Daniel Cribbs (1800-1891) moved from Ohio to Erie, Greene County, Alabama around 1823 with at least two of his brothers. By 1827, the brothers had gone their separate ways and Daniel, a wealthy businessman, had established a pottery in Tuscaloosa along what became known as Cribbs Creek. Brackner states that Cribbs's life was a "microcosm of the American frontier experience." At 13, he was a courier in Ohio during the War of 1812. He was the sheriff of Tuscaloosa County from 1842-1845, running unsuccessfully for the state House of Representatives. He owned a steamboat, The Tuscaloosa, that carried goods including his pottery down the Black Warrior River from Tuscaloosa to the port of Mobile. In 1845, the Tuscaloosa blew up, nearly ruining Cribbs financially, and he would leave Alabama for a short period in 1850 to be a forty-niner in California's gold mines. His pottery would remain active for over fifty years. This jug follows a form typical of pieces from Cribbs's home state of Ohio. It was possibly made by an enslaved potter; Brackner notes that according to the 1860 slave schedules, Cribbs owned six slaves, his son Harvey owned three, and his mother-in-law Lucy Lavergy, owned seven. Two of Lavergy's slaves, Harrison and Shepherd, are listed in an 1851 loan document as "Mechanicks by trade potters" and undoubtedly worked for Cribbs (Brackner, p. 149-150). An intriguing aspect of this jug is its alkaline-glazed surface. Brackner states that Cribbs's products were salt-glazed, making this example exceptionally rare or possibly unique. While the form of the jug relates to Ohio stoneware, its glaze treatment clearly speaks to the influence of the Edgefield, South Carolina potting tradition as potters made their way west. An exceptionally early example of Alabama stoneware, made at the shop of one of the leading figures in the state's pottery industry and the first example bearing this stamp that we have offered. Literature: A four-gallon salt-glazed stoneware jar bearing Cribbs's mark, in the collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art, is illustrated in the color plate section of Brackner's Alabama Folk Pottery. H 10 1/2".

Rare Diminutive Glazed Redware Jar with Lid, attributed to the Hinkle-Mort Pottery, Jefferson County, TN, circa 1855-1860. Exhibited: Tennessee Turned, Earthenware and Stoneware Made in East Tennessee 1800-1900, Museum of East Tennessee History, May 16-October 30, 2011. Provenance: Descended in the Mort family of Shady Grove; Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals, May 21, 2011, lot 126. H (including lid) 6 1/2".

Fine Two-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Iron Slip Decoration, attributed to the Trapp and Chandler Pottery, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1848-1850. H 10 5/8".

Exceptional Five-Gallon Stoneware Jar with Elaborate Two-Color Slip Decoration, attributed to Phoenix Factory, Shaw's Creek, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1840. Provenance: Purchased from Jimmy Allen in 1980. H 16 1/4".

Hewell Masterwork. Very Rare Albany-Slip-Glazed Stoneware Face Harvest Jug, attributed to William Hewell at the "Daddy Bill" Dorsey Pottery, White County, GA, early 20th century. Affectionately referred to by Wahler as "Zonka," this jug is perhaps the finest earlier-period Georgia face vessel to come to auction in years, made by a dynastic potting family that is active to this day. Literature: Illustrated in Burrison, Brothers in Clay, p. 230. H 9 3/8".