"Grape" ice pitcher 1849 - 1853

This "Grape" ice pitcher, produced by Congress Pottery between 1849 and 1853, is a fine example of American stoneware. The pitcher's brown and yellow mottled glaze, known as "croaking," was a popular technique during the mid-19th century, and the naturalistic grapevine motif reflects the growing interest in botanical subjects. The pitcher's unusual tree branch handle adds to its rustic charm and is now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.