Exceedingly Rare John Wesley Late 18th/Early 19th C. Staffordshire Flask

An exceedingly rare piece of Staffordshire pottery depicting John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of the Methodist movement. Ca. 1775-1810. [Staffordshire, England.] The double-sided flask is made from earthenware glazed in black, yellow, green, red, and blue, and features an applied bas relief bust profile portrait of Wesley at the center of each side. Molded garlands are found near the base, and hand-painted under glaze foliate decoration flanks the portrait plaques. No visible maker's mark. Expected surface wear commensurate with age such as even crazing, with isolated discoloration. No chips or flakes. The cork stopper is missing, which is not unusual considering its age. Else near fine. Measures approximately 5.5" x 3.5" x 2.5."

Provenance

The flask was acquired by our consignor from noted Wesleyana collectors. Included with the flask is email correspondence from October 2023 exchanged between the consignor and another Wesleyana expert. In this correspondence, the expert opines about the age and rarity of the piece, writing, "I am envious green. I know the piece and they are extremely rare, only 3 or 4 known…" The Museum of Methodism and John Wesley's House in London, England, which has a similar flask, notes in its catalog description that it would have probably contained a restorative tonic.

John Wesley was instrumental in founding Methodism, a religious revival which took place during the First Great Awakening (1730s-1740s). Wesley had helped codify, legitimize, and proselytize Methodism after experiencing evangelical conversion in 1738. John Wesley-themed souvenir pottery like tableware, plaques, and statuettes, as well as door knockers, clocks, and, walking sticks, would have been treasured by his followers, who viewed them as akin to relics.

John Wesley's contemporaries commented on his small statue and fine features. Dr. Benjamin Kennicott, a Hebrew scholar and English cleric, recalled a middle-aged Wesley as "neither tall nor fat…His black hair, quite smooth and parted very exactly, added to a peculiar composure in his countenance, showed him to be an uncommon man." (Wesley continued to wear his hair long even after it had turned white.) Luke Tyreman, who wrote the definitive "The Life and Times of Rev. John Wesley M.A." (1846), stated that "In person Wesley was rather below the middle size, but beautifully proportioned, without an atom of superfluous flesh; yet muscular and strong, with a forehead clear and smooth, a bright penetrating eye, and a lovely face, which retained the freshness of its complexion to the latest period of his life."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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