Beman Crock

Q: This stoneware vessel was left behind in an old farmhouse in western Pennsylvania that my family moved into 70 years ago. It's 15 inches tall and the top appears to have been shaped to hold a stopper of some sort. Incised into the side is the number "4" and the word "Beman." I'm interested in any information you can give me about the maker and its original use. Would this be of interest to a collector?

A: You have a stoneware crock made by John Beman of Newton Falls, Ohio. He worked from the mid 1820s until the 1860s. Stoneware crocks were used for storage and cooking before the days of refrigerators and modern ovens. Your crock originally had a stoneware lid, which probably was broken years ago. The number "4" on it indicates it is a 4-gallon crock. Stoneware is collectible, although collectors prefer crocks with blue decoration. Value of your crock: $300-$400.

Gerz Bowl

 

Q: I was given this jar by a friend who knew I might be interested in it. It's about 10 inches high and 8 inches in diameter. It's decorated with pictures and names of German cities, including Heidelberg, Ehrenbreitstein, Drachenfels, and Stolzenfels. The finial on the lid is a man pushing a bunch of grapes in a wheelbarrow. This circular mark with the words "Original Gerzit" and "Gerz, W. Germany" is on the bottom of the lid and bowl. I love it but I don't know what to use it for. Does it have any value?

A: Gerzit Gerz was a stoneware manufacturer founded by Simon Peter Gerz (1830-1893) in Hohr, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia, in 1857. The company was incorporated in 1897 and went out of business in 1997. Gerzit Gerz made steins, punch bowls, and mugs. Most of its production seems to have been steins. We have seen a jar like yours advertised for sale as a cookie jar and as a punch bowl. While it could be used as either, a couple of clues make it likely that it was meant to serve as a punch bowl. The clues: the grape decoration on the finial and the fact that the four cities listed are in Germany's wine-producing areas. The mark on your bowl and cover was used from 1960 to 1990. Value of your bowl and lid: $80-$100.

Troy Pottery

Q: This was my great-grandmother’s molasses ewer. I’m 83 years old, so there is no doubt it is an antique. The words “Troy N.Y. Pottery” are printed on it. It is about 11 inches high and is in good condition. Can you tell me something about the maker?

A: Stoneware jugs and ewers like yours were popular in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Troy, N.Y., was one of the centers of production and several potteries were located there. The city’s location on the Erie Canal made it easy to transport pottery to the west. One of the important stoneware manufacturers in Troy was Israel Seymour, who began working in 1809. When he died in 1852, his son Walter took over the business and operated it until 1858. The pottery continued in business under several changes in ownership until about 1890. The “Troy N.Y. Pottery” mark was probably used by Walter Seymour or his successors. The blue design adds value to your ewer. It could be worth $100 to $500; a qualified appraiser would have to see it in person to give you a more precise value.