Late 19th C. Redware Earthenware Lemon Fruit Coin Bank Antique Folk Art Pottery

Details

Description

Up for sale is an authentic antique late 19th to early 20th-century (c. 1880s–1910s) hand-painted earthenware / redware pottery fruit-form … Read more Up for sale is an authentic antique late 19th to early 20th-century (c. 1880s–1910s) hand-painted earthenware / redware pottery fruit-form still coin bank, molded in the realistic shape and scale of a lemon/lime.

Constructed from dense, hand-formed red clay/terracotta substrate weighing 10.9 oz, this bank features a hand-cut coin slot near the stem shoulder and an original embedded wire hanging loop. The piece retains its original cold-painted finish in citrus yellow and lime green enamels. It displays an untouched, highly organic surface patina with extensive natural paint flaking and chipping that exposes the rich, reddish-brown clay subterranean core.

Design Significance & Provenance:
Embodying the tactile honesty of late 19th-century primitive folk ceramics, this hand-formed redware earthenware lemon bank bridges utilitarian currency storage with sculptural trompe-l'œil decoration. Its weathered, cold-painted surface offers high visual texture, organic warmth, and historical depth.

Curator's Note:
An extraordinary piece of late 19th-century primitive pottery, this earthenware lemon bank features a beautifully distressed cold-painted surface revealing its rich terracotta core. An exceptional sculptural accent for a rustic dining table centerbowl, curated shelf vignette, or antique country kitchen display.

Type: Still Coin Bank / Fruit-Form Bank

Subject: Lemon / Lime Fruit

Material: Redware / Earthenware / Terracotta Pottery

Age/Era: Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century (c. 1880s–1910s)

Origin: United States or European Continental (Primitive Folk Art)

Dimensions: Approx. 4" L x 3.5" W

Weight: 10.9 oz (309g)

Authenticity Assessment: The exposed subterranean material reveals a fine-grained, fired terracotta/redware body rather than soft, chalky plaster or modern ceramic white clay. The cold-painted organic enamel application lacks modern primers or synthetic resins, causing it to flake naturally along stress areas over a century of handling. The presence of an integrated iron/wire loop at the stem end, combined with the hand-cut, irregular coin slot, confirms early hand-finishing and authentic late 19th-century primitive pottery production techniques.

Reference
Book Title: The Penny Bank Book: Collecting Still Banks
Authors: Andy Moore & Susan Moore
Page / Reference: Page 142 (Coverage of Pottery, Earthenware, and Composition Fruit Banks) See less