Antique Salt-Glaze Cobalt Decorated Stoneware Jug

Updated September 3, 2026

Lot number13
CategoryPottery, China & Glass
AuctionSanta's Auction #1
DateSeptember 19, 2026 at 11:30 AM EDT
Auction houseSanta's Auction
LocationSacramento, California

This 19th-century salt-glazed stoneware whiskey jug features a hand-brushed cobalt blue motif on the front shoulder, showcasing a stylized botanical plume with dotted swirl accents. The piece displays a traditional semi-ovoid body with a heavy strap handle, narrow neck, and a warm salt-glazed finish with characteristic orange-peel texture. Salt-glazed stoneware was a staple of North American utilitarian pottery throughout the 1800s. Potters decorated these vessels with cobalt oxide brushwork, which turned a rich deep blue when fired in wood-fueled kilns. Cobbing, slip drips, and kiln marks on the body add to its authentic period character. The jug maintains strong structural integrity with intact handle attachments and no major structural cracks. It displays light surface wear, minor firing imperfections, and light base friction consistent with age and farmstead use.

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