Images(3)

Jar

Date1855-1863

Attributed to John Wood Thompson ((active ca. 1840-1863) or)

Attributed to David Greenland Thompson (1819-1890)

OriginAmerica, West Virginia, Morgantown

MediumSalt-glazed stoneware

DimensionsH: 9 13/16"; Diam. of base: 6"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1999.900.1

DescriptionDark gray, cylindrical, one-gallon storage jar with flat base, slightly concave shoulders, and a rolled rim. Impressed on flat top of rim with an incuse numeral "1" in a dotted oval. Also impressed below rim with a stylized chevron band. Jar is free- hand painted in cobalt blue with two large figures of two men, holding rifles, facing each other.
Label TextThe decoration on this storage jar is intriguing. What did the potter intend? Are a man and woman facing off across their guns? Was it a commentary on frontier life, or simply the whim of the artist? While representations of people on stoneware are not common, a number of vessels from the Thompson shop incorporate individuals into their designs.

InscribedNo
Markings"1" in oval
ProvenanceVendor: Rob Hunter, Yorktown, VA

Exhibition(s)