Rare 19th-Century Stoneware Pitcher Gets $264,000 in Recent Sale

Collectors, keep your eye out for old stone crocks when you are out and about at flea markets and garage sales this spring and summer. A rare 1806 stoneware pitcher decorated with eagles in a good condition sold for $264,000 in a recent Crocker Farm auction. It was made for New York City cabinet maker John Wessells and has one of the earliest depictions of an eagle. It was made 30 years after America’s independence and its eagle design is based on the original design of the 1782 Great Seal of the United States. Stoneware crocks were both useful and an art form at the turn of the 19th century. As you search for your antique crock, remember that small changes in color, condition and shape can make a difference in price.

Photo: Crocker Farm