Rare sgraffito glazed red earthenware plate with three tulips in vase, John Dry (1785-1870) Dryville, Rockland Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, dated 1819

Inscribed underside, pencil: Made by John Dry / Dry Pottery / Stony Point Pottery / Dryville / Lydia / David Hess/Frederick/Bought by/C. Nippon/Nov. 16 1819

George Horace Lorimer, Philadelphia
Bernard and S. Dean Levy, New York, 1978

On loan to IBM from the George Horace Lorimer Collection, c. 1942-1977

Rebus Inc. American Country Folk Art. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1990, p. 89
American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 147, fig. 110

One tiny chip at extreme right rim (coggle) otherwise in excellent condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This slab-molded plate, decorated with a symmetrically placed handled urn of flowing vines and flowers in sgraffito, was made by John Dry (or Drey), the patriarch of an influential and successful Berks County potting family. The pottery, which was active from c. 1806 to 1880, was founded upon the site of an earlier pottery, operated by the Melcher (or Melcheor) family of Berks County, which Dry purchased in 1804. There he and his sons Daniel (1811-1872), Nathaniel (1842- 1864), and Lewis (dates unknown) produced a full range of utilitarian and decorative wares, and they were known for their manufactory of pressed, figural pipes, whimsical toys, and decorated household items. The finely grained, even texture of the red earthenware used in this plate suggests that the clay was refined extensively before forming. Such even textured clay bodies were required of press-molded and slip-cast figural wares and were beneficial in producing the even, unblemished yellow and red decorative colors seen on this plate.

The Drys marketed their earthenwares successfully throughout Berks County, transporting finished loads by wagon to various local markets. Surviving records from the operation indicate the range of goods offered and their prices. A number of simple plates in various sizes, decorated with a single, abstract two- or three-color slip-trailed tulip, survive and are attributed to their manufactory.¹ They are also thought to have produced a range of more ornate plates with customized inscriptions and commemorative dates for specific clients. The date on this plate may refer to a marriage, birth, or other significant date for its owner, or simply the year in which it was made and presented. Its skillfully drawn and carved sgraffito pattern and even glaze surface suggest the skill of the pottery in producing more ornate custom-decorated wares. -J.L.L.

¹ Guy F. Reinert, "History of the Pennsylvania German Potters of Berks County," Historical Review of Berks County 2 (January 1937): 44.