Abacus
Antique Dealers: How To Collect American Art Pottery
What
Is It, Where Is It, and How Much Should I Pay For
It?
American
art pottery has remained a hot collectible for over
25 years, collected by school teachers, major museums,
and the rich and famous alike. These decorative ceramics
are available in all styles and price ranges, offering
not only an attractive element to add to one’s
abode but also a glimpse into America’s recent
past. This article provides an introduction into this
fascinating art form, with direction for more advanced
reading for those whose interest is piqued.
What
Is It?
Art
pottery was produced across America from about 1880
to about 1920, the work of nearly 200 makers ranging
in size from huge factories to one guy in a basement
with a bucket of mud. While there are numerous regional
styles and variations, it can be accurately stated
that there were two basic types of ware produced.
One,
more Victorian in its approach, treated the clay body
of the pot as though it were a canvas on which to
paint. The potteries of the Ohio Valley, such as Cincinnati’s
Rookwood, or nearby Zanesville’s Roseville and
Weller Potteries, were purveyors of wares created
in this style. The other method, typified by the Grueby
Pottery of Boston, was more in keeping with the tenets
of the Arts & Crafts Movement, and sculpted or
tooled a more stylized, organic decoration into the
surface of the pot, unifying the vessel and the design
into a single expression.
The
evolution of ceramic design in America spoke volumes
about our country’s aesthetic growth. Prior to
the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia we
were a continent exploring its boundaries, more concerned
with building railroads and ducking arrows than making
pretty things for the home.
But
the centennial display of decorative arts from Europe
and beyond sent shock waves through American society.
Soon luminaries such as Maria Longworth Nichols and
Mary Louise McLaughlin returned to their native Cincinnati
and began producing relatively crude American copies
of finer European copies of superior Asian ceramics.
Nichols
founded the now famous Rookwood Pottery in 1880, where
this Victorian-style flourished. Rookwood quickly
evolved into America’s premier, hand-decorated
factory-produced art pottery, maturing as it moved
through the subsequent styles of Art Nouveau, Arts
& Crafts, Art Deco, and Moderne before closing
its doors in 1965.
The
Grueby Pottery (1896-1917) was a more short-lived
operation—riding the rise and fall of the Arts
& Crafts Movement—however their artware remains
the truest expression of this important era in American
design. Considered the perfect complement to fine
Period furniture by leading designer Gustav Stickley,
these organic masterpieces were hand thrown, individually
decorated, and covered with rich, vegetal matte glazes.
William
Grueby’s pottery was a fraction of the size of
the Rookwood operation, and while some division of
labor remained and the product did not meet the Arts
& Crafts ideal of “one person, one pot”
as George Ohr and W. J. Walley had done, by any standard,
it was a more intimate affair, with most of the modeling
and glazing produced by a small staff of artists.
These
two examples illustrate the disparities that defined
and compelled the field of American decorative ceramics.
Rookwood was almost entirely molded ware, while Grueby’s
hollow ware (as opposed to their art tile) was always
hand thrown. Rookwood divided labor between many people
in different parts of a large factory complex (form
designer, slip-caster, decorator, glazier, finisher,
and kiln master), while Grueby limited those involved
to thrower, designer/glazier, and kiln master. Finally,
Rookwood remained this country’s most long-lived
producer, whereas Grueby was a one-trick pony that
expired along with the end of the Arts & Crafts
Movement. But what a fine trick it was.
Where
to Find It
Learning
about art pottery is easier than ever, which is the
upside of its becoming so popular (the downside is,
of course, that it’s more expensive than it used
to be). In the past two decades, several major museums
have added extensive collections of America’s
best ceramists. There are now hundreds of books available
on most of the famous, and not-so-famous producers.
And there are always new museum exhibitions showcasing
both single artists as well as surveys of period work.
While
viewing these public collections is an excellent place
to start, this can be a little frustrating because
pottery, more than most other art forms, needs to
be held to be understood. This is particularly true
of the 100-odd producers of Arts & Crafts ware.
These fine matte glazes are as inviting to the touch
as to the eye.
The
perfect remedy is to view pieces in person whenever
possible, at one of the specialty shows or auctions
which periodically take place across the country.
An auction of twentieth-century collectibles, for
example, might contain hundreds of pieces of art pottery,
all on display and mostly available to pick up and
hold. Even smaller auctions, those with a dozen or
fewer offerings, can provide more valuable information
to the new collector than any book ever written. There
are a handful of professional art pottery shows that
take place annually, which offer an unequalled opportunity
to both see art pottery up close and meet others who
share your interests.
This
being said, there are hundreds of related books that
are essential reading to any student of the period.
Budding ceramaphiles must read several of these and
at the end of this article is a comprehensive list.
If you combine historical background, seeing and handling
pieces in person, and interacting with the community
of collectors, you will have chosen the safest and
most enjoyable route to establishing a solid pottery
addiction.
How
Much to Spend
Determining
how much to pay remains an issue because, unlike the
other elements of collecting, this is more of a moving
target. Like any other market, prices are subject
to change at any time and those changes are usually
upward. Other variables that come into play include
where you find it, what condition it’s in, and
how beautiful/successful it’s deemed to be. A
product’s “freshness,” or how exposed
to the market it is, also counts.
For
example, Fulper Pottery was made in Flemington, New
Jersey, and even though it was distributed throughout
America, it remains most available in the Garden State.
Consequently, prices for more common Fulper pieces
are usually lower in New Jersey. On the other hand,
better pieces of Fulper are usually more expensive
in New Jersey because the availability of the product
also serves to create a more discerning brand of collector.
Damage
affects the value of a piece in different ways, depending
upon the type and extent of the flaw and the mindset
of the buyer of a particular sort of ware. For example,
Rookwood’s ceramic is almost photorealist in
its decorative approach. An iris blossom should look,
well, like an iris blossom. Rookwood collectors have
set, and maintained, the standard for the importance
of perfection. Even the slightest damage, such as
a small chip of drill hole through the base, will
reduce a piece’s value by as much as 50 percent.
Arts
& Crafts collectors are more forgiving, however.
The work of Biloxi, Mississippi, potter George Ohr
is all one-of-a-kind artware (”God made no two
souls alike and I’ll make no two pots alike,”
was one of his fondest proclamations). If you like
the expression of a certain piece, you’ll have
to take it in the condition it’s in because there
won’t be another. While mild damage will still
reduce value on potteries such as Ohr and Grueby,
the drop in price may be limited to only 10 or 20
percent.
Fortunately
for the new collector, there is more pricing information
available than ever before. Online sales of art pottery
show thousands of pieces and online price guides offer
compilations of auction results from across the nation.
Live auctions are usually accompanied by color catalogs,
some of which even include accurate condition reports
(essential if a price is to have any meaning). Adding
this to the immediate pricing available at antiques
shows will give you a reasonable level of working
knowledge.
Your
interests are best served if your enjoyment of art
pottery includes the people you meet and the history
that spawned the art form, in addition to the material
itself. The best advice I’ve ever heard can be
summed up in one sentence: Take your time, do your
research, attend auctions and shows, and remember
to have fun.
David
Rago has been a specialist in American Arts &
Crafts decorative arts and furnishings for 30 years:
he has published nearly 500 articles and is a popular
lecturer on the subject nationwide. He is a frequent
appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, the editor
and co-publisher of the magazine Style: 1900, and
the host of ragoarts.com. He is an exclusive online
content partner with Antiques America.
