Lot 1022

MID-ATLANTIC / WASHINGTON, DC DECORATED STONEWARE JAR

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MID-ATLANTIC / WASHINGTON, DC DECORATED STONEWARE JAR

Estimate: $100 - $200

Starting Bid: $50

(0 Bids)

by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates
June 26, 2026 9:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
2177 Green Valley Lane
Mt. Crawford, VA, US 22841

MID-ATLANTIC / WASHINGTON, DC DECORATED STONEWARE JAR, salt-glazed, approximately two-gallon capacity, elongated ovoid form, having flattened rim and applied tab handles. Brushed cobalt double-bloom flower to one side and reverse featuring a single-bloom flower, additional cobalt to handle terminals. Possibly John Walker (c.1805-1883) working for Richard Butt, Washington DC. Second quarter 19th century. 12 1/8" H, 6 1/8" D rim.
Catalogue Note: John Walker (c.1805-1883) emigrated from England in 1826. First known to have produced stoneware in Baltimore, Walker soon moved on to Washington, DC, where he is listed on a city directory in 1834. In the District of Columbia, Walker was employed by Richard Butt, who managed a pottery located at the southwest corner of Eighth and I Streets NW. Walker's pieces clearly show the influence, both decorative and in form, of potteries located in nearby Alexandria and Baltimore. Notably, John Walker not only worked as a potter, he also performed the services of a physician. By 1840, Walker had left the nation's capital moving west to Ohio and then Kentucky, where he worked with Cornwall Kirkpatrick, of Anna Pottery fame. John Walker continued to be listed as a potter living in Frankfort, KY on the 1860 and 1870 census. He passed away in 1883 and is buried in Frankfort Cemetery.
Richard Butt acquired his first pottery business in Montgomery County, Maryland circa 1826. Never formally trained as a potter, Butt's primary occupation throughout his life was in the field of law enforcement; the pottery business served only as an additional form of income. By 1834, Butt had relocated into the nation's capital, founding the area that would later be known as "Potters' Kiln Square". During this time, he also served as overseer of the city's paupers asylum, which also held individuals convicted of minor criminal offenses, some of whom may have been employed at his nearby pottery. Multiple master potters were employed at Butt's establishment over the years including English born John Walker (c.1805-1883) and German born Joseph Straub (ca. 1800-ca. 1868). Butt sold his pottery business by 1846, continuing primarily with his law enforcement vocation. Butt's most prestigious position came when President Lincoln appointed him commissioner of the Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia in 1863. Sadly, he died only two years later.

  • Condition:

    Having a chip to rim and base with old glued repair and radial crack.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $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 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000