7" x 5" Dia.

Two (2). Maker unknown, probably American. c1893. Vitreous pottery. An extremely rare pair of ironstone pitchers with two Inuit figures in coloured transfer print highlighted by three gilt bands. The young girl is Clara, holding a pup in her arms with another resting by her feet; the young boy is her brother Willie, dressed in furs with a dog by his side. Clara and Willie were the children of Manasseh Adams, a mixed-blood trader and Hudson's Bay dog sled driver. In 1893, Dr. Frederick Cook, a Polar explorer, took Clara and Willie from their Labrador home to New York to assist him in promoting Arctic exploration. With several countries vying to be the first to reach "the Pole", the competition was fierce. In New York, Cook was paid $300 a week to perform nine shows daily with Clara and Willie on a stage set like an Inuit camp. These pitchers were sold as souvenirs at these events. Just one year later, in 1894, Cook chartered the "Miranda" and returned Clara, Willie, and four other stranded Inuit back to Labrador.

Very good condition. One imperfection on the base rim & minor wear.