There are a small group of late nineteenth or early twentieth century American-made apple formed red earthenware cooler's and jugs known to exist today, one of which was previously owned by noted New York folk art collector Barry Cohen (1935-1990). That object is also illustrated and discussed in an article written by journalist Rita Reif for the New York Times on June 17, 1990, titled, Just Plain Folk: The Art of Everyday Objects.
Reif noted in the article, "Barry Cohen's 30-year-long involvement with American 19th-century folk art was reflected in the artworks he constructed and the artifacts he collected.
The artist's boxed constructions, which were exhibited in eight one-man shows between 1970 and 1989 at the Allan Stone (1932-2006) Gallery (now permanently closed) in Manhattan, combine painted wood and metal toys, small carvings, miniature houses and assortments of curious objects.
The rarest object in the exhibition is an apple-shaped cider cooler, a redware precursor of Pop Art more than 16 inches tall. The story of how Mr. Cohen acquired the vessel, as told by an executor of the estate, Gerald Kornblau, a New York folk-art dealer, reveals something about this stubbornly persuasive man.
''He came to dinner and saw the apple, which I had earmarked for another collector,'' Mr. Kornblau said. "I've got to have it," Barry insisted, refusing to have dinner until I quoted him a price. When I did, he said, "It's mine." Mr. Kornblau did not disclose what Mr. Cohen paid but said it was far less than the price in the show - $17,500.
What Mr. Cohen admired in the ceramic apple was the rich patina of its matte finish and the realistic modeling of the yellow and red surface. ''It just looks like an apple freshly picked off a tree, with a piece of twig and green leaf still attached,'' Mr. Kornblau said. The passion Mr. Cohen showed for objects was primary. ''With limited funds he managed to amass a collection of the finest material by buying one good piece and trading it up for another, better object,'' Mr. Kornblau said.
Furthermore, Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland sold an apple formed cooler of a similar size in the firm's fall 2021 auction, which sold for $14,400, including the buyer's premium. The cooler also had words painted on it, that read, "Baldwin's Cider," as well as the words "PAT. APLI. FOR" that were inscribed on the bunghole. I believe the cooler is now in the collection of the Art Museums at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia; Crocker Farm also sold a related smaller apple formed jug in the spring of 2022.
Nevertheless, this outstanding late nineteenth or early twentieth century apple formed red earthenware cooler sold this morning at Pook & Pook in Downington, Pennsylvania, whereas it is directly related to the coolers that were owned by Cohen and the one that sold at Crocker Farm. The paint on this cooler is also excellent and probably in comparison to when Gerald Kornblau said, ''It just looks like an apple freshly picked off a tree, with a piece of twig and green leaf still attached." And just like the other examples, the words "PAT. APLI. FOR" were inscribed on the bunghole. Although, this cooler did have a condition issue - it sold for $2,125 including the buyer's premium.
Note: There were also a number of group lots of red earthenware in today's sale, whereas one of those lots included a nineteenth century red earthenware jar probably made in southwest Virginia or northeast Tennessee that sold for $4,500 including the buyer's premium: https://live.pookandpook.com/online-auctions/pook/large-redware-mixing-bowl-etc-5846070.
Another one of the lots contained a nice late eighteenth or early nineteenth century red earthenware jar from Bristol County, Massachusetts; the lot sold for $3,000 including the buyer's premium: https://live.pookandpook.com/online-auctions/pook/six-pieces-of-redware-19th-c-5846126. For more information about this type of production, see the fifth installment in my pottery book series, titled, A Celebrated Industry: The Historic Wares of Southeastern Massachusetts, Bristol County and Cape Cod: https://historicbeverly.net/product/a-celebrated-industry-the-historic-wares-of-southeastern-massachusetts-bristol-county-and-cape-cod/.
A Rare Painted Apple Formed Red Earthenware Cooler
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