When I found this mug I would have guessed it was made just a few years ago--it's in perfect condition, and seems to me really contemporary. But with a little research I've learned that the Rosse who signed the underside was Jerry Rosse, a largely self-taught artist who established a pottery studio and gallery in the basement of a Greenwich Village brownstone during the depression, and went on to gain a fair amount of acclaim. (It is noted on a website dedicated to his work that Jerry was solicited by Macy's and other large department stores to sell his work, but refused, as he wanted to maintain sole distribution of his design; and is also noted that he was a regular exhibitor at the Greenwich Village Outdoor Show in the 1940's and 1950's.)
This mug was I believe made from a mold, then the face--seeming to me exactly the face that a coffee cup should have--was incised and and clay eyes added. It feels great to hold in the hand, and one could slip a tea spoon through the hollow handle for carrying. 5" t x 4 5/8" across at handle x 3 1/4" d. Not a flaw anywhere on it that I can see.
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