Southeastern Pennsylvania Sgraffito Decorated Red Earthenware Plate with Flowering Urn Motif

It is exceptionally rare to find early American folk art of this caliber. This sgraffito-decorated red earthenware plate originates from southeastern Pennsylvania—a region well-known for pottery of this type that has been highly sought after for over a century. Because the vast majority of these pieces are already locked away in museums and premier private collections, acquiring an exceptional example on the open market is a truly rare opportunity.

Dating back to the early 1800s, this unsigned piece is a great example in the traditional Pennsylvania sgraffito technique. The visual design is beautifully striking. A layer of slip covers the plate, acting as a canvas for a sgraffito decorated flowering plant growing straight out of a central urn.  Further down the stem are whimsical, curled leaves and a unique triple-line barrier stretching across the middle. To bring the scene to life, the potter added hand-brushed splashes of rich green copper glaze that perfectly frame the edges and highlight the central flower.

This specific "urn and flower" motif was popular among some early American artisans. Renowned southeastern Pennsylvania potters like Henry Roudebush or Roudebuth, Samuel Troxel, Heinrich Roth, John Leidy, Conrad Mumbouer, and the Hubener family all produced their own spins on this layout of an urn and flower.

While some sgraffito patterns are like a clear signature pointing to a specific maker, others—like this plate—remain a puzzle and a debate as to who the potter was that made it. Regardless of its exact maker, Pennsylvania sgraffito decorated red earthenware has been an emphasis for major cultural institutions for over a century, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Folk Art Museum, and Winterthur Museum.

For more information about this object - contact Antiques Associates At West Townsend in Massachusetts: https://www.aaawt.com/about/.

Note: For additional information - see the 2025 edition of Americana Insights: https://www.pennpress.org/9798988533122/americana-insights-2025/.

Early 19th Century Sgraffito Decorated Red Earthenware Plate from SE Penn.

Features an Urn with a Plant and Flower Highlighted with a Vibrant Green Glaze

Measures 9 3/4" in Diameter

See Article for More Information

Link: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/early-19th-century-sgraffito-decorated-redware-plate-possibly-made-by-henry/

Photo Courtesy: A.A.A.W.T.

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