DOWNINGTOWN, PENN. – American stoneware led the gavel forward at Pook & Pook Inc’s April 23 single-owner sale from the collection of Bud & Judy Newman. A W.A. Macquoid crock with cobalt brush featuring Civil War officers playing a fife and drum around a keg with two tankards sold for $51,660. Circa 1870, the crock featured Macquoid’s stamp, placing his address at “Little West 12th St N.Y.” The piece had been exhibited at the Museum of American Folk Art in a 1989 exhibition titled “Always In Tune: Music In American Folk Art.” The firm said, “The present example stands out as Macquoid’s most ambitious work known.”

Macquoid’s Manhattan pottery ran from 1863 to 1879. Known for his humor and narrative decoration, the potter’s works feature some of most unique illustrations depicted on American stoneware.

The sale featured a wide assortment of Americana, including weathervanes, pottery, textiles, furniture, paintings, trade figures, painted sleds and a large collection of games.

Watch for a full review in a future issue.