Exceptional Four-Gallon Stoneware Jug with Folky Slip-Trailed Pheasant Decoration, Stamped "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT.," circa 1855, large-sized, semi-ovoid jug with rounded shoulder, and semi-rounded spout, decorated with a large slip-trailed cobalt design of a pheasant perched on the branch of a tree. Pheasant is depicted with turned and crested head, long tail, and heavily-shaded neck, breast, and back. Tree features forked limbs and shaded edge, flanked by shrubs at the base. The pheasant depicted on this jug is an unusual variation of a desirable Norton design, featuring haphazard dashes to the bird's neck (instead of the more typical spots), and including a different leg configuration (angled instead of curved, with hollowed thighs). Extremely rare four-gallon size with excellent color, exhibiting bold cobalt against a light clay ground. Provenance: Dr. Raymond L. Owen Collection. Exceptional, as-made condition with a few in-the-firing contact marks.