Baltimore Pottery Bust of a Man

Auction house description:

Very Rare Folk Art Redware Bust of a Man, Carved on Underside "B. KAPP / 76," made at the Perine Pottery, Baltimore, MD, circa 1876, hand-modeled bust in the form of a man with mustache and goatee, wearing a coat with lead-glazed buttons. Carved on underside with the date "76" and the name "B. KAPP," probably referring to West Baltimore potter, Israel Kapp, or a relative. (The name and date on the underside may have been carved after the firing, but are believed to be original to the piece.) Traces of gold paint to surface, and black-and-white paint to eyes. Exceptional figural form. Documented Baltimore redware is highly unusual. Provenance: This sculpture was included with several other Perine items at an exhibit at the Maryland Historical Society in 1955, and was cataloged as being made at the Perine Pottery. The catalog sticker from this exhibit is still on the underside. Base chips. Chip to one ear. H 4 1/4".

Available at Crocker Farm.