Jane Lew, West Virginia Stoneware Butter Churn

Circa 1870-1890: This handsome three gallon stoneware churn with freehand cobalt decoration stands nearly 15" tall and is attributed to S.A. Colvin and Son in Jane Lew, West Virginia. The Colvins bought the Jane Lew manufactory from J.P. Parker in 1870 and ran the pottery for the next twenty years. This scarce churn is decorated with Colvin's signature lady's slipper, a rarely found flower in the orchid family. Condition is generally excellent with one thin tight line on bottom and base most probably in the making (the jar rings when tapped), one minor base flake, some typical minor nicking on the inside rim commensurate with age and use, and other firing anomalies as made with no other chips, cracks or repairs. This is a super nice example of the Colvin family's Jane Lew output in a very desirable form. Provenance: Ex Jeanne and Lawson Hamilton, Jr. collection, Lewisburg WV.