Diana and J. Garrison Stradling transformed the landscape of historical American ceramics through their rare combination of legendary antiquarian dealing, deep material scholarship, and archival research. Operating as elite dealers and curators, the Stradlings did not merely buy and sell pottery; they actively rewrote its history. Their pioneering field research and landmark publications, such as The Art of the Potter: Redware and Stoneware, bridged the gap between commercial collecting and high academic scholarship, forever altering how early American redware, stoneware, and molded pottery are valued
Their discerning eyes and dedication to provenance helped build the foundations of major public institutional collections across the United States. They sourced and sold seminal, highly documented historic pieces to prestigious institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Newark Museum of Art, the Museums at Old Salem, and other elite museums. By placing exceptional masterworks into these permanent public displays, the Stradlings ensured that the ingenuity of early American potters was recognized on par with European decorative arts.
In fact, I want to tell one story: A few years ago, my good friend Sam Herrup told me an incredible story from the late 1980s. While walking through Manhattan, he spotted a masterpiece sitting in the storefront window of a closed antiques shop: a slip-script decorated red earthenware plate reading "Days Pottery." It is widely considered one of the most significant examples of northeastern redware in existence. Sam went back the very next morning to buy it, but to his disappointment, it was already gone. The plate eventually found its way to the Stradlings, who advertised it in The Magazine Antiques in 1990 before ultimately selling it to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/07/the-1990-advertisement-for-days-pottery.html.
Nonetheless, for decades, alongside their public dealings, the Stradlings quietly maintained an extensive, private study collection. Following their profound legacy, this legendary collection is finally stepping out of the private sphere. Property from the Stradling Study Collection is officially heading to the auction block at Nye & Company Auctioneers in Bloomfield, New Jersey, during their Chic & Antique Auction on September 9, 2026, at 10:00 AM EDT. For historians and collectors alike, the auction represents a rare opportunity to acquire pieces carrying the ultimate pedigree of American ceramic scholarship. Here is a link to the catalog: https://www.nyeandcompany.com/auction-catalog/chic-antique-auction-september-9th-10th-2026-incl_5YW752B7DO.
For more information about the Stradlings - see an article written by Diana and Garrison for the 2014 issue of Ceramics in America, titled, Dealer's Choice: https://chipstone.org/article.php/699/Ceramics-in-America-2014/Dealers'-Choice.
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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