1876 Harley & Carll Jug

Appraised on: June 26, 2004

Appraised in: St. Paul, Minnesota

Appraised by: Allan Katz

Category: Folk Art

Episode Info: Roadshow Remembers (#1017)
St. Paul, Hour 2 (#902)

Originally Aired: January 10, 2005

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (2:21)

GUEST: This piece belonged to my grandmother. She had a lot of antiques, but most of them are glass and so the kids in the family didn't get to go around those very often; but this one was always out on the floor and so as I grew up, this was a part of all the parties and Christmases there. And when we were closing, uh, when she sold her house, uh, the grandkids and the kids could chose different things, and this is the piece that I always wanted, so my name was on this one for a long time.

APPRAISER: When did you actually get it?

GUEST: Uh, about five years ago.

APPRAISER: Let me tell you a few things about this wonderful piece. We cannot find any maker in Ohio-- it says "Ohio Stoneware"-- with this maker. So this is a piece we still need to do more research on. There are two cities in Ohio mentioned, one, Akron, and one, Alexander. And the fact that it says on the bottom "1876 Centennial" makes me speculate that it might have been used in the centennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1876.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: The various states had exhibits and this might have been an example from an Ohio stoneware maker. It's slip-cup decorated with cobalt, and the cobalt was drizzled onto the stoneware before it was fired. And this wonderful bird, as you can see, is a peacock. The writing and the decoration takes up the full palette, and that's what we in American Folk Art look for great piece of stoneware. This is wonderful over here, the date 1876, and it's a little miniature jug, which is a replica of the large jug. And you said, you told me how this handle got broke.

GUEST: Yeah, my grandmother always said that she bumped it while she was vacuuming.

APPRAISER: I would just leave it the way it is, it doesn't need any repair, and it really doesn't hurt its value. If I had this at a show, I would have this priced at somewhere between $65,000 and $85,000.

GUEST: Are you kidding me?

APPRAISER: No, I'm not.

GUEST: Oh, my God.

APPRAISER: I think it's an absolutely monumental piece of American stoneware.

GUEST: Earlier when I lifted it up here, you said you almost had a heart attack when you saw me grab it by the handles.

APPRAISER: I did. You were lifting it by the handles, which is just an absolute no-no for a small piece, so never do that again.

GUEST: I've moved it a couple times like that, but I won't move it that way anymore. I am stunned, I am absolutely stunned.