19th Century American Stoneware Neoclassical Collection | Five Pieces From Vermont Estate

Details

Description

A remarkable collection of five 19th-century American stoneware pieces, assembled over generations in a Vermont doctor's family home. Discovered together … Read more A remarkable collection of five 19th-century American stoneware pieces, assembled over generations in a Vermont doctor's family home. Discovered together at an autumn antique fair, these pieces speak so eloquently as a unified group that we chose to keep them intact—a testament to their visual and historical harmony.
Collection Includes
Stoneware Plate with Minerva Mark - 9" diameter
Undermarked with the goddess Minerva, featuring assertive Arcadian design motifs
Two Unmarked Stoneware Plates - 6" diameter each
Complementary neoclassical patterns, part of the cohesive aesthetic
Molded Porcelain Goddess Figure - 7" x 4"
Believed to represent the goddess of the harvest, dressed in neoclassical costume with beautiful period detail and a few honest nicks that add character
Covered Tureen with Capital "R" Mark - approximately 8" x 6" x 6"
Wonderful blooming blossoms and rustic overall design, a centerpiece of the collection
Historical Context
These pieces embody the somber elegance of American Romantic Era design—the age of mourning jewelry, Edgar Allan Poe, and neoclassical architecture. The deep brown tones, rather than celebratory blues or bright colors, reflect the period's fascination with melancholy, mortality, and classical antiquity. The Arcadian imagery evokes an idealized pastoral past, while the goddess figures connect to America's 19th-century obsession with Greek and Roman mythology as symbols of the young republic's democratic ideals.
This collection represents the cultivated taste of educated Americans who looked to ancient Greece and Rome for aesthetic and philosophical inspiration during an era of national identity formation.
Condition
Good overall condition with honest age and wear—signs of a life well-lived over more than a century. Minor nicks and dings consistent with 19th-century domestic use. Everything is as it should be for pieces of this age and provenance.
Provenance
Assembled over time in a Vermont doctor's ancestral home. Acquired as a complete collection at a Vermont antique fair.
Perfect For

American decorative arts collectors
Neoclassical and Romantic Era enthusiasts
Curated tablescapes and period styling
Museum-quality display
Students of 19th-century American material culture

Style
Neoclassical, American Romantic Era, Gothic Revival, Academic, Historicism

A rare opportunity to acquire a thoughtfully assembled collection with shared aesthetic DNA and Vermont provenance. See less