Lot 452

EXTREMELY SCARCE "NO. 119" R.T. WILLIAMS (NEW GENEVA, PENNSYLVANIA) DECORATED STONEWARE PLOT MARKER.

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EXTREMELY SCARCE "NO. 119" R.T. WILLIAMS (NEW GENEVA, PENNSYLVANIA) DECORATED STONEWARE PLOT MARKER.

Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000

Starting Bid: $10,000

(0 Bids)

by Amelia Jeffers
July 31, 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
620 E Weber Road
Columbus, OH, US 43211

EXTREMELY SCARCE "NO. 119" R.T. WILLIAMS (NEW GENEVA, PENNSYLVANIA) DECORATED STONEWARE PLOT MARKER.
American (Southwestern Pennsylvania), 19th Century. Large, beautifully molded finial-form with extensive tooling and including incising and cobalt highlighting throughout, with bands (the upper with impressed diamonds enclosing raised Maltese crosses and the lower with swags) above an arch paneled bottom; the front bearing arched text "R. T. WILLIAMS" with "No 119" centered below and the back bearing a large tree of life. One of a pair. 22.5"h. Illustrated: "Stoneware of Southwestern Pennsylvania" by Phil Schaltenbrand (fig. 186).

Cataloguer's note: See lot #446 in this auction for the second of the pair. Prior catalog listings and scholarly literature have attributed similar plot markers to the shop of "C.W. Williams" with a suggested date of production in the late 1890s. When analyzed in the context of the (very) few examples extant, the two examples in this catalog make an argument for an earlier date of production (likely 1880s) and a proper attribution to R. T. Williams, though a general "C.W. Williams or R.T. Williams" attribution may be most appropriate based on real estate tax records referenced in "The Stoneware Potteries of New Geneva and Greensboro, Pennsylvania" by Ronald L. Michael and Phil R. Jack. In 1882, Charles W. Williams purchased {plat mapped} lot 21 in New Geneva (formerly owned by Alexander Conrad and sold for back taxes), but whether he operated a pottery at the location is not well-documented. C.W. Williams' heirs sold the property to Robert T. Williams in 1889, with research indicating that R.T. had actually operated the pottery during C.W. 's ownership. Additionally, in 1890, R.T. purchased the neighboring property, which had been the site of Leander B. Dilliner more than a decade prior. Given the incredible proximity of the potters, a precise attribution may be nearly impossible to discern. For another New Geneva plot marker example, see May 4, 2024, Lot 463; and for a partial example, see Crocker Farm, March 2, 2013, Lot 227.

Provenance: From The Second Installment of The Beth & Earl Trimble Salt Glazed Stoneware Collection; Bill Kandle (Strasburg, Ohio).

  • Condition: Various states of crazing throughout, areas of minor glaze loss throughout, varied amounts of discoloration, small crack and chip at base, small areas of material loss to body, black light illuminates some areas of glaze loss, no repairs visible. (BH 7.21.26)

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000