Inkwell

  • Category:

    Ceramics

  • Creator (Role):

    Clarkson Crolius I (Possible maker)

    Clarkson Crolius Jr. (Possible maker)

  • Place of Origin:

    New York, Manhattan, New York, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America

  • Date:

    1800-1850

  • Materials:

    Stoneware (salt-glazed); Salt glaze

  • Techniques:

    Molded, Stamped (impressed), Painted, Pierced

  • Museum Object Number:

    1959.1749


  • Complete Details



Object Number

1959.1749

Object Name

Inkwell

Category

Ceramics

Credit Line/Donor

Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont

Creator (Role)

Clarkson Crolius I (Possible maker)
10/5/1773-10/3/1843
[Book] Ketchum, William C. 1987 Potters & Potteries of New York State, 1650-1900. sugests that Clarkson Crolius (1773-1843), the son of John? Crolius (also a potter) purchased four lots next to the family's factory in June 1800. The pottery moved to 67 Bayard St. in 1814 (perhaps due to increasing insurance premiums of having kiln in an urban area) and he retired in 1838. Ketchum illustrates a 1809 price list (possibly earliest in existence) - (49-50) and marks (1800-1814) of the maker which include variants of "C CROLIUS/MANUFACTURER/MANHATTAN WELLS, NY."(1814-1835) variants of "CROLIUS/67 BAYARD STREET/NEW YORK" or "C.CROLIUS/MANUFACTURER/NEW YORK" (482). Based on information from Ketchum's book, the inkwell (1959.1749) was made by Clarkson Crolius (1800-1814), not Clarkson Crolius Jr. (1835/8-1849). There is no reason for Clarkson Crolius Jr. to continue stamping his wares with "MANHATTAN-WELLS" if pottery had moved from there almost 20 years earlier. Four of Winterthur's Crolius pieces, in fact, are Clarkson Crolius (1800-1814) based on mark.

Clarkson Crolius Jr. (Possible maker)
2/28/1806-9/27/1887
[Book] Ketchum, William C. 1987 Potters & Potteries of New York State, 1650-1900. sugests that Clarkson Crolius (1773-1843), the son of John? Crolius (also a potter) purchased four lots next to the family's factory in June 1800. The pottery moved to 67 Bayard St. in 1814 (perhaps due to increasing insurance premiums of having kiln in an urban area) and he retired in 1838. Ketchum illustrates a 1809 price list (possibly earliest in existence) - (49-50) and marks (1800-1814) of the maker which include variants of "C CROLIUS/MANUFACTURER/MANHATTAN WELLS, NY."(1814-1835) variants of "CROLIUS/67 BAYARD STREET/NEW YORK" or "C.CROLIUS/MANUFACTURER/NEW YORK" (482). Based on information from Ketchum's book, the inkwell (1959.1749) was made by Clarkson Crolius (1800-1814), not Clarkson Crolius Jr. (1835/8-1849). There is no reason for Clarkson Crolius Jr. to continue stamping his wares with "MANHATTAN-WELLS" if pottery had moved from there almost 20 years earlier. Four of Winterthur's Crolius pieces, in fact, are Clarkson Crolius (1800-1814) based on mark.

Place of Origin

New York, Manhattan, New York, Mid-Atlantic, United States, North America

Date

1800-1850

Mark or Signature or Inscription or Label

1. Mark; Side; Impressed large oval with double border and "C CROLIUS/ MA[NUFACTURER]/ Man[hattan Wells]/New York"

Materials

Stoneware (salt-glazed); Salt glaze

Techniques

Molded, Stamped (impressed), Painted, Pierced

Construction Description

Probably molded, but possibly thrown and slab-constructed.

Dimensions (inches)

1.496 (H) , 3.602 (Diam)

Dimensions (centimeters)

3.8 (H) , 9.15 (Diam)

Object Description

Text available soon.

Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes

[Book] Ketchum, William C. 1987 Potters & Potteries of New York State, 1650-1900.
Information on maker
[Book] Webster, Donald Blake. 1971 Decorated Stoneware Pottery of North America.
Cast lead printing block for marking Crolius pots: p. 48, no. 27, "C. CROLIUS/MANUFACTURER/NEW-YORK" for Clarkson Crolius, Jr., c. 1838-50
[Book] Webster, Donald Blake. 1971 Decorated Stoneware Pottery of North America.
Much the same form inkwell with Clarkson Crolius, Jr. of NY (1838-50) mark: p. 181, no. 244, center, shown with variation by other maker, inscribed "Ink Fountain".
[Article] Janowitz, Meta F. 2008 "New York City Stonewares from the African Burial Ground". Ceramics in America. 41-66.
Whole article: discussion of Crolius and Remmey family salt-glazed stoneware from burial ground.
[Book] Skerry, Janine E. & Hood, Suzanne Findlen. 2009 Salt-Glazed Stoneware in Early America.
Crolius inkwell with incised script "New York July 12th 1773/ William Crolius" mark: p. 196, fig. 14
[Catalogue] Crocker Farm, Inc. Crocker Farm Auction Catalogue.
Similarly-impressed Crolius marked inkwell, c. 1815: July 16, 2011 sale, lot 8.
[Catalogue] Crocker Farm, Inc. Crocker Farm Auction Catalogue.
Slightly different(?) form inkwell with Crolius mark: July 20, 2013 sale, lot 48, with side stamped with oval mark, "C. CROLIUS / STONE-WARE / MANUFACTURER. / Manhattan-Wells. / NEW-YORK"
[Article] Fitzgerald, Michelle. 2019 From the Collection: Selling to the Nation: Clark and Fox's 1830s Stoneware Inkstand. Winterthur Portfolio. 53 (4): 199-229.
Published: pp. 228-229, fig. 28-29