Lynn’s eBay ezine Volume III, issue number 42

figure 1

THE WEIGHT

The best identifier I have found for determining if an unmarked piece of pottery is AMERICAN made is the heft of the piece. Most American pottery pieces have some weight to them–unlike the Japan imports of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s that seem fairly light in comparison. This is a good place to start to identify the country of origin, if it is not shown. So, just in the process of picking up the piece, the weight is registering in my mind. This is something that has to be developed over time. It is not that any piece over a certain weight is American pottery—it is the relationship between the size and the weight that helps determine the country of origin. The American pieces feel like they have “heavy bottoms” and often the walls are thicker than Japan and other foreign potteries.

THE CLAY

The clay color is the first thing I see on the bottom of any piece of pottery, and certain colors can identify the maker. It is essential to look for an unglazed area to determine the clay color.

For example, you probably know that Frankoma was made with a red clay for many years. See figure 2.

figure 2

Frankoma was also made with Ada and a pink clay. Ada clay was a yellow beige and was EARLIER than the red clay pieces. See figure 3.

figure 3

Blue Mountain pottery of Canada is usually made of red clay, is often unmarked and looks and feels much like American pottery. Early Peters and Reed pottery was red clay, too, as were many of the Arts and Crafts pots like Grueby. Some Italian and Mexican pottery is made with red clay, and much of the southwest or Native American pottery uses shades of red. Harris G. Strong used red clay sometimes, too, and Nicodemus is a red clay pottery. Jugtown is often red clay, and there are some North Carolina potters who used red clay. See figure 4.

figure 4

Of course there are lots more, but if you have a piece of pottery with a red clay base, this is a start. There are many different shades of “red” clay, but red and deep pink clays have been readily available to the potter for centuries, and this color often gives the glaze a different look than it would have with another color clay.

Yellow clay was primarily from Ohio, so most of the Ohio potteries used yellow clay. Roseville, McCoy and Brush are examples of the yellow clay potters. See figure 5.

figure 5

Robinson-Ransbottom was mostly yellow clay. Watt Pottery is in a class I call yellowware, since they used a clear glaze over the yellow clay instead of colors. Robinson-Ransbottom, Blue Ridge, Purinton, and Watt all did some yellowware with a clear glaze over the yellow clay.

See figure 6.

figure 6

Weller sometimes used yellow to cream colored clay, but just when you think you have learned how to identify these by clay color, another one shows up. Look at this Weller piece in red clay! See figure 7.

figure 7

Hull and Shawnee are a cream color with a pink tint to the clay. So are American Bisque and Royal Copley. Don’t confuse this with pink clay–used by Coventry and Kay Finch and a few other California potters, including some Hagen-Renaker. See figure 8.

figure 8

Camark and some Arkansas potteries as well as Texas potters used a white to ecru clay, primarily. See figure 9.

figure 9

Niloak is often white clay, and much of the Niloak was heavier with a wider foot or base than many other American potteries of that era. See figure 10.

figure 10

Alamo and Gilmer are Texas potteries using white clay. Figure 11.

figure 11

Stangl Pottery is often made of a white clay, too. Some Hawaii pieces are also white clay. Figure 12.

figure 12

Beige clay was used by Rosemeade and some eras of Dryden, primarily Kansas Dryden. Figure 13.

figure 13

Monmouth or Western Stoneware used a sandy clay, often seen with a maple leaf and USA incised into the clay. See figure 14.

figure 14

Some of the southwest Native American pottery is beige clay, too. This pitcher is marked Acoma on the side.

Figure 15.

figure 15

Mosaic tile made pieces that were not tiles, and they often have beige clay. See figure 16.

figure 16

Heath used sandy clay for much of their dinnerware lines. Dryden and Rosemeade may be sandy clay, too. See figure 17.

figure 17

Any pottery that has been soaked in water may be beige, too, so beware of dirty bottoms!

Thanks Linda, for this introduction to American pottery identification and the different clays used for American pottery. We will be hearing from Linda again next week with more identifiers for American pottery.

eBay PowerSeller and third generation antiques dealer, Lynn Dralle, is the creator of Boot Camp in a Box, the home-study course where you can learn to implement the Dralle Method to maximize your eBay profits.

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