Monday, April 6, 2015
howeenterprise.com
Page #11
Learn about your antiques and collectibles with Georgia Caraway
This week’s topic is Art Pottery. This is a short primer on just a few of the better-known American Art Potteries. COWAN POTTERY STUDIO—1912-1931 R. Guy Cowan came from a family of potters who for several generations worked in East Liverpool, Ohio. He became a potter before he finished high school. He started his pottery in 1912 with the help of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. The very earliest pottery made bore the name Lakewood. In the beginning they used red clay. The pottery shut down in 1917 when he went to war and reopened in 1919 at the old location. The redware body was replaced with English white clays when they moved in 1920 to Rocky River, Ohio. By the late 1920s over 175,000 pieces were being made and offered in approximately 1500 retail outlets across the country. Lakeware was offered from 1927-1931 for the dime stores. The Cowan Potters Inc was formed in 1929 with plans to build a new plant. But this never came to fruition, as the pottery was a casualty of the Great Depression. MARKS: Cowan Pottery, Lakeware, Cowan with “RG” under, or “CR.” FULPER POTTERY 1899-1929 W. H. Fulper, Jr. incorporated Fulper Pottery Inc. in 1899 after nearly a century of production of utilitarian stoneware under various company titles and managements. He was responsible for
the development of Fulper’s art pottery production. In 1909, he ventured into the art pottery field with a line named Vasekraft. They used the same heavy clay body used for their utility ware. Although shapes were unadorned and simple, the glazes they used had such flair and imagination that each piece was considered a work of art. The Arts and Crafts style makes them highly collectible and expensive –from $200-more than $10,000. During WWI, doll’s heads and Kewpies were made to meet the demand for hard-to-find imports. Martin Stangl joined Fulper in 1910 and was responsible for new glazes introduced into the Vasekraft line. He left for five years, and then returned in 1920. The plant was destroyed by fire and Stangl took over the company in 1930. Art pottery was produced on a reduced scale until 1935, and then production switched to dinnerware and figurines. The company name changed in 1955 to Stangl Pottery. MARKS: vertical Fulper, a horizontal mark Fulper, a Vasekraft paper label. Rafco, Prang, and Flemington.
Grueby tiles were often a full inch thick. The pottery was incompatible with the Art Nouveau style and due to inexpensive reproductions; the art pottery was discontinued in 1910. The pottery burned in 1913, and W. H. Grueby no longer directed the pottery after that. The plant was rebuilt and continued making architectural products until 1921. MARKS: Grueby Pottery Boston USA; Grueby Boston MASS or Grueby Faience in a circle
ROOKWOOD Maria Longworth Nichols (Storer) established Rookwood Pottery in 1880 in Cincinnati Ohio. The pottery was named after her childhood home—Rookwood. She started making pottery in the 1870s as a part of a women’s group studying the art of china painting. The pottery operated with great success until the Depression when it suffered financial difficulties. From then on the quality deteriorated although it remained in business until 1960. During its 80 years in production, more than 40,000 glaze formulae were developed, 500 of which were in daily use in the 1930s. MARKS: Rookwood Pottery, Ohio, on GRUEBY POTTERY and GRUEBY earliest, an anchor in 1882, Rookwood and the FAIENCE and TILE CO. 1894-1921 year from 1882-1886, and then in 1886, the William Henry Grueby joined the firm of Low mark became a reverse “RP” monogram with a Art Tile Works at the age of 13. After several flame point added above it for each succeeding years of architectural tile experience he started year until 1900. After that, a Roman numeral his own company in 1894, the Grueby Faience added below indicated the year of Company, Boston. Grueby began manufacturer. Impressed letters also indicated experimenting with the idea of producing art type of clay. pottery and soon perfected a fine glaze (soft and without gloss) in shades of blue, gray, VAN BRIGGLE POTTERY yellow, brown, and cucumber green. Grueby Established in 1901 in Colorado Springs CO. Pottery was incorporated in 1907 to produce by Artus Van Briggle who had worked with art pottery. Wares were hand thrown and hand Maria Storer of Rookwood. Van Briggle went decorated in the Arts and Crafts style. to Paris and studied under Rodin. He and his wife Anne worked together at the pottery. Its exceptional glazes, elegant forms, and simple decoration characterized their ware. Artus died in 1904, but his wife Anne continued the work until 1912. The pottery was reorganized and went through numerous owners until 1969 when controlling interest was sold to an employee. Van Briggle is still operating making new designs and repros of old designs. MARKS: A A Van Briggle Colo. Spgs
