Typical of much English stoneware of this time, the maker of this large pear shape basalt...
Typical of much English stoneware of this time, the maker of this large pear shape basalt tall pot remains anonymous. His pot, however, is anything but forgettable. Unusually ample proportions create a sense of volume missing in the more slender pots of this period. In reaction to the larger proportions, our potter has flattened the dome shape lid, making the engine turned detail more prominent. The complementary engine turning toward the base also becomes more pronounced by the contrast of the smooth expanse of the upper body. The beefier aspects of this pot are reflected in this version of the traditional widow finial--a grinning crone leaning on her keg of rum with a tiny tall pot beside her. Finally, almost as if the potter feared he had left too much surface unadorned, he adds a small patch of basketwork relief at the base of the spout.