Love Vintage Pottery? You’ve Come to the Right Place

Hi there! I hope you had a great weekend. My sweet husband and I served as substitute grandparents for the son of very good friends of ours on Friday. No, we are not grandparents yet, nor are we [quite] old enough. Well, I guess technically we could be. In any event, we spent the morning masquerading as Gramma and Grandpap for the sweetest 4th grader ever.

Saturday I prepared more stock for the Shaker Craft Fair, which opened that morning and runs through December 16th. Saturday evening we attended our daughter’s performance in a step dancing competition at a local college–what an wild and exuberant form of dance. Her team placed 2nd!!

All that to say: no vintage shopping for me this past weekend, but have no fear, my home is filled with plenty of recent finds to share, including today’s “collection” of pottery treasures that I think you’ll enjoy.

This majolica jardiniere, in the Art Nouveau style, is handsomer than many pieces of American majolica that I’ve seen (cost: $3.00, value: $40-50.00). One typically finds American majolica in shades of brown and green (sometimes with some pink) and like earlier, European majolica, is noted for its glossy surface. It was likely manufactured in the 1920’s, perhaps by Weller or McCoy.

“257” is the only mark on the bottom. You can see two other examples of American majolica here.

Earthenware

Earthenware vessels, fired at low heat, are among the earliest known to man.  Constructed of porous (non-vitreous) clay that requires glaze for water-proofing, earthenware includes a large variety of pottery types, including terra cotta, Delft, yellow ware, ironstone, French faience, and majolica. Despite its sturdy sounding name, it is easily chipped.

Collectors really love cabbage patterned majolica pieces, like this newer Portuguese dinner plate (cost: $1.00, value: $10-12.00).

St. Clement pottery, in operation since the mid-1700’s, manufactured this c.1920’s French faience dinner plate in the “chanticleer” or rooster pattern (cost: $1.50, value: $15-25.00).

Most pottery planters that you come across, like this lily-inspired McCoy example (given to me by a sweet reader, along with a van full of other wonders that I’ve not posted about yet), fall into the earthenware category.

One of the most collected brands of pottery, McCoy operated out of Roseville, Ohio from 1910 to 1991. The company used the well-known mark you see here from 1940 to 2001, so it cannot really be used for dating purposes. However based on the glaze and the style of the pot, I’d date it to the 1940’s.

A creamy, unmarked vase, likely American (cost: $1.00, value: $12-15.00).

I bought all of the pieces you see in the three collages below at two sales. I don’t often buy ceramics like these because they don’t fit in with my mostly farmhouse style booth, but the prices were right and I think they’ll make a lovely spring display. They date to sometime in the middle of the 20th century.

An unmarked ivory, urn-shaped planter (cost: $1.00, value: $12-15.00).
A basket-weave planter, marked “Made in Japan,” (cost: 50¢, value: $12-15.00).

An unmarked, diamond-shaped planter (cost: 50¢, value: $10-12.00).
A small urn-shaped vase marked “USA” (cost: 25¢, value: $8-10.00).
A large, spattered vase marked “123/- USA” (cost: $1.00, value: $12-15.00).

An Art Deco style planter, marked “Made in Japan,” (cost: 50¢, value: $8-10.00).
A small vase, marked “USA, 1267,” (cost: 25¢, value: $8-10.00).

Stoneware

Non-porous pottery fired at medium-high temperatures (1800-2200°F) that does not require glazing for protection, is known as “stoneware.” It is dense, impermeable, and resistant to scratching, whether glazed or not.

This small, stoneware crock of unknown origin would make a perfect utensil holder (cost: $1.00, value: $18-25.00). My sweet friend also gifted this piece to me, along with the bean pot below 🙂

The unglazed bottom contains no mark.

Though missing its lid, this bean pot, marked “2” on the shoulder, is nonetheless collectible and would look quaint holding a bouquet of daisies or other field flower (cost: 50¢, value: $10-12.00 w/o lid).

Categorizing ironstone is tricky because equal numbers of people feel it is earthenware or stoneware. Created as a porcelain alternative in 1813 England, it weighs less than most stoneware, but is quite sturdy.

However, like earthenware, it is always painted and glazed even though it is semi-vitreous (it does not absorb as much moister as earthenware). Clear as mud, right? All that to say, due to its weight and sturdiness, I choose to include it in the stoneware category.

This huge platter is a recent find that I’m considering stenciling with the word “gather.”

K, T, & K is the mark for Knowles, Taylor, & Knowles pottery out of East Liverpool, Ohio, in operation from 1854 to 1931. The company used this mark with the eagle on ironstone beginning in 1879 through the 1880’s. Feel free to take a look at my personal ironstone collection or check out my ironstone price guide.

Porcelain and Bone China

 

The Chinese developed porcelain, a very hard, translucent form of pottery, over a thousand years ago. Ironstone, as I mentioned above, was an English attempt at creating porcelain. Eventually, the English developed a product that closely resembled porcelain, “bone china,” made with the ash from animal bones.

You can distinguish porcelain from ironstone by its typically lighter weight, thinner walls, and translucence, i.e., hold it up to the light and if the light shines through, it’s porcelain or bone china.

I’ve been unable to determine the company that used this mark, but my suspicion is that it’s continental (cost: $1.00, value: $15-18.00).

As you may recall, I collect ladies vanity jars, mostly antique, but I will buy well-priced newer versions as well, especially beautiful ones like this piece of Wedgwood in the “Wild Strawberries” pattern (cost: $2.00, value: $10-20.00).

It has already joined its cousins on my dresser and is holding a bauble or two.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at my recent [mostly] pottery finds. Many use their pottery finds every day while others have them on display, some by color, others by style. It’s a versatile collectible that fun to forage for out in the vintage wild.

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