Bidspirit auction | Stamped New Jersey Relief-Molded Rockingham-Glazed

Stamped New Jersey Relief-Molded Rockingham-Glazed Toby Mug and Toby Face Jug - Stamped New Jersey Relief-Molded Rockingham-Glazed Toby Mug and Toby Face Jug Mottled brown Rockingham glaze over buff-colored yellowware body, comprising one ”Toby face jug” molded in the form of a bearded man's head in a tricorn hat atop a paneled round body, and one ”Toby mug” of cylindrical form decorated in relief with images of a portly Toby seemingly holding a razor and brush on either side, with foliage embossed at front to hide the mold seam; both with similar applied molded branch handles. Both pieces bear a rectangular pad marking with chamfered corners in relief on their undersides; they are stamped, but it is made illegible by the glazing. The stamp should read ”CHS COXON / STH AMBOY / NJ”. Circa 1858-1860. Dimensions: Mug: 3 1/2” H, 3 5/8” D base. Jug: 5 1/2” H, 2 5/8” D base. Condition: Mug: Undamaged. Jug: Heavy chipping and overall wear as well as a 2” vertical hairline near the foot. Provenance: The Stradling Study Collection. Jug: Purchased from Wilma's (location not noted), 08/14/1990. Catalogue Note: Even with the stamps rendered illegible, both pieces are confidently attributed to the Swan Hill Pottery on the basis of form and glaze, and especially thanks to the ”raised rectangular pad with clipped corners” on which they were stamped. The mug's mold came to Swan Hill via its modeller Charles Coxon, who had previously made similar mugs at the pottery of E. & W. Bennett in Baltimore (Goldberg 1994, pg. 59-60). The Toby jug may have been designed at Swan Hill since there is no known Bennett counterpart to the design. Toby mugs and jugs continued to be made in these molds under the tenure of Coxon's immediate successor at Swan Hill, J.L. Rue & Co., and some of these have the rectangle (which was apparently carved as part of the mold), but rectangle-marked Rue pieces are presumably not stamped in their pad mark, so these stamped examples must be from Coxon's short tenure in South Amboy. A price list from Rue's tenure shows ”Toby Mugs” offered in two sizes and ”Toby Face Pitchers” also offered in two sizes (Leibowitz 2002, p. 35). This mug seems to be the smaller of the two sizes; compare to the Swan Hill attributed mugs in lots 69 through 71 in this sale. Auctioneer's Note: We are thrilled to bring the Stradling Study Collection to market in partnership with Connor Rush of SFR Antiques, whose help and scholarship enabled the completion of this session's catalogue. A bibliography for the sale can be found here: ( https://bit.ly/3RYodeh ). For questions about lots 1 through 111 in this sale, or for help accessing the bibliography, please reach out to connor@nyeandcompany.com. Condition: Condition reports are not provided in catalog descriptions. The absence of a condition report does not guarantee that the lot is in good condition or free from damage and wear. We encourage you to request a condition report and/or additional photos prior to bidding on any lot. We also recommend asking for a shipping quote before bidding. CASH, CASHIER CHECK, MONEY ORDER, AND WIRE TRANSFER ARE THE ONLY METHODS OF PAYMENT ACCEPTED FOR JEWELRY.