To those of us who are compelled to fill our homes with collections, there is something mystical in owning an object that was once commonplace, but has become precious with the passage of time. What we now call "art pottery" were ordinary household goods - gifts and florist supplies, a bowl to feed the dog, or a jar for cookies - thing we all have around the house. Made of stone and fire, they are fragile. And they often did not survive toddlers, roaming pets, and clumsy moments in the lives of their keepers. Those that made it, handed down through generations or passed on to the households of strangers, have become treasures.
Every
piece is a mystery, for they hide the secret of their origins and age quite
well. Pottery from the tombs of the pharaohs can look no older than a vase
from last season's floral arrangement. A piece of Van Briggle from 1910
may be virtually identical to a piece made seventy years later. They tell
their tales reluctantly and only to those willing to sleuth out the past.
They never tell of the flowers they held, the holiday meals they watched
over, or the hands that tended them carefully enough that they survived. They are silent witnesses to the coming and going of our
century.
My own small mystery:
I've always loved antiques from the time I was a child, and in high school I spent a lot of time looking for places where I could pick up odd things - old radio premiums, toys, sewing notions, anything small and cheap. I purchased my first piece of old pottery at a place that disposed of the contents of entire houses. I was visiting friends down the NJ shore when they told me about this store I'd pass on the way out of town, and I prevailed upon my like-minded scavenger parents to stop.
The store sold mostly furniture (out of the question, since I was still living at home!), but they had an attic that contained all the little things that remained after the choicest pieces were sent to the main floor. The price of anything in the attic was four for a buck, and I managed to find a cut glass tumbler, and a white "lady's head" planter after some digging. It was that planter that started me on a quest to find out more about what it was, how old it was, and where it came from.
That was in 1971. And I still don't know for sure.
I've never seen it pictured in a book, or spoken to another collector who knew beyond a doubt what it was. Over the years, I've spoken to collectors of "lady heads" and other pottery collectors and dealers, some of whom have seen it, but none of whom could name who made it.
My best guess is that it might be Shawnee, since I have found (and bought!) a much larger version.
Several years ago I found a duplicate but much poorer copy being sold for $2 in a McCrory's under the label "Plants n' Things". I now have two of another copy as well, one marked with a paper label as shown on the left. They are slightly smaller, and are also incised on the back with "S. D. D. Co", a copyright symbol and "1981". The bottom of both pieces is covered with green felt, so there is no way to see if there are any markings there.
My original "lady" has a typical Shawnee foot, but is marked only with an incised "USA" on the bottom. The only other clue is the style of her hat and modeling which seems to date her to the 1930's.
Ultimately, it really doesn't matter
that much if I never find out her whole story. I have learned to accept
that sometimes part of the allure of a piece is that little bit of mystery. I did buy her for her looks long before I ever thought I might want to own more than one pretty planter- and, after all is said and done, what's the fun of collecting if you don't love what you have irregardless of what it is?
New - another tale of a second mystery lady.
| Nelson McCoy Pottery | The Shawnee Pottery | The Cowan Pottery |
Information? Questions? Let me know what you think about my pages. Send me email by clicking here (evelynmch@aol.com).Please note that I can not price or evaluate pottery for you, but I do love to talk with other collectors