A Stoneware Mug that Sold Yesterday as Part of the Matt King Collection in New Hampshire

As I posted a few days ago, the estate of Marshfield, Massachusetts antiques dealer and collector Matt King is in the process of being sold by Flying Pig Auctions in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. However, due to the size of the collection and dealer inventory, it is being offered in several sales: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/03/19th-century-civil-war-themed-stoneware.html.

Nonetheless, a second lot from this collection that piqued my interest and was apparently part of Matt's dealer inventory was a group of stoneware mugs, one of which was reportedly recovered from an eighteenth century context in New York City (or at least that is according to the information written on a tag adhered to the base). This might be a mug made at one of the pre-1780 Manhattan area stoneware potteries, although it follows a strong German design tradition. 

For example, the repetitive dotted cobalt design seen on the mug is often referred to as "thalertupfen" in Germany, a term used to describe a specific pattern of dots. These dotted techniques were also applied on slip decorated earthenware manufactured in Britain in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The idea of a repetitive pattern is also regularly found with some slip decorated red earthenware recovered from production centers like Charlestown and Newburyport, Massachusetts, etc. in the 1700s.

This notion of dots also eventually became a craze in fashion in the nineteenth century, known as "polka dots," such as one piece of pottery currently available in Massachusetts made around the mid-1800s: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/19th-century-slip-decorated-redware-plate-spotted/.

Interestingly, a somewhat similar shaped eighteenth century stoneware mug from New York or New Jersey sold at Crocker Farm in 2019, described as circa 1725-1780: https://www.crockerfarm.com/stoneware-auction/2019-03-23/lot-118/Important-Colonial-American-Stoneware-Mug-Manhattan-NY-or-Cheesequake-NJ/

The lot of mugs sold for $950 plus the buyer's premium: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/227921929_lot-of-2-antique-stoneware-cobalt-dec-mugs-4-12-tall-x-3-12-diam-and-5-tall-x-3-12-diam-westmoreland-nh.

Update: There is some speculation about the history of this mug whether it was dug up in New York City or somewhere else, but nonetheless it is likely eighteenth century in origin and from the Manhattan and New Jersey area.

Probably 18th Century Stoneware Mug Possibly Recovered in New York City

Possibly Made at One of the Potteries in Manhattan

Possibly Pre-1780

The Context that it was Found was Described as "18th Century Material"

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Flying Pig Antiques

One other lot that I wanted to mention that sold reasonably was a group of red earthenware, which included a nineteenth century mottled green glazed bowl. The only other bowl that I have seen like this example is one that I own, which was also illustrated in a three-page feature story I wrote for the October 2014 issue of the the New England Antiques Journal, titled, Utilitarian Redware in Massachusetts: The Chase family pottery: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/227921884_lot-of-2-antique-redware-items-incl-pitcher-and-bowl-7-tall-pitcher-and-4-12-tall-x-7-diam-westmoreland-nh.

19th Century Red Earthenware Bowl with a Mottled Green Glaze

Possibly Made in Essex County, Mass.

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Flying Pig Antiques

A Related Bowl is Published in this Three-Page Feature Story 

Published in the October. 2014 Issue of the New England Antiques Journal

"Utilitarian Redware in Massachusetts: The Chase family pottery"

Link to Article: https://www.scribd.com/document/272780103/Chase-Family-Pottery-New-England-Antiques-Journal-October-2014

See Article for More Information

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...