Bidspirit auction | Relief-Molded American Redware Anchor Pitcher,

Relief-Molded American Redware Anchor Pitcher, possibly NJ or Pennsylvania - Relief-Molded American Redware Anchor Pitcher, possibly NJ or Pennsylvania Streaked and splotched manganese amidst a thick clear lead glaze over red earthenware body, tall pear shape relief molded with a vertically-oriented anchor without chain on both sides, thick applied molded branch handle, unmarked base. Fourth quarter 19th century. Dimensions: 10 1/8” H, 6 1/2” D base. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and a couple small areas of glaze exfoliation to anchor; several glazed-over drying/firing splits, as made. Provenance: The Stradling Study Collection. Purchased from O. Rundle Gilbert (Garrison, New York), 04/06/1976. Catalogue Note: The anchor pitcher's design originated in Trenton NJ in the late 1860s (Liebeknecht 2014, p. 1). The design saw widespread success in America, eventually being made in various styles by a number of factories up and down the east coast, and probably elsewhere too. Although the pitchers were made by the original manufacturers in whiteware and in Rockingham-glazed yellowware, it must not have been long before redware potters took notice of the design's success and copied it. Some redware copies are known to have been made in molds cast directly from existing designs (including at the Eberly pottery in Strasburg, Virginia). Others, like the present example, are technically ”original” designs by more inventive modelers, in the sense that they were probably not copied from existing pitchers but instead made ”from scratch”. No Rockingham or whiteware counterpart is known for the present design (vertically oriented anchor, lacking a chain), which may have been made by a potter in Pennsylvania after looking at examples made in nearby NJ. Similarly molded and similarly glazed pieces are known to have been made by John Bell in Waynesboro, PA (Comstock 1994, p. 123). Anecdotally, it is also believed that some redware anchor pitchers could have been made by the Gast family of potters in Lancaster, but this is unconfirmed, and it's likely that more than one pottery could have been making them (Hagadorn 2007, p. 83). 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.