Antique T.J. Wheatley Cincinnati Faience Vase No 29 Applied Flowers c1880 For Sale

Exceptional early T.J. Wheatley & Company Cincinnati Faience art pottery vase, circa 1880–1882, from the formative years of the American Art Pottery movement. This substantial vase features Wheatley's highly distinctive naturalistic relief decoration, with large fully modeled flowers in rich burgundy-red and cream, textured golden centers, green leaves and dark trailing stems applied dramatically over a brilliant cobalt-blue upper body transitioning into a beautifully mottled pale blue and cream lower glaze. The dimensional flowers project prominently from the surface, creating the sculptural quality associated with Wheatley's early Cincinnati work and the French-influenced barbotine tradition. The underside is hand-incised “No. 29” above an early monogram/signature. A virtually identical No. 29 blue floral Wheatley vase measuring 13¼" has been documented by Just Art Pottery/Crafted sales, providing particularly strong identification for this example. Measures approximately 13¼" tall.