Continue reading »]]> The Arts and Crafts Movement has a lot to answer for, as today’s collectors dedicate their time to tracking down the best pieces derived from the art pottery phenomenon of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Here are five places where art pottery lovers can experience the work and traditions of ceramic masters around the world up close and personal.

Van Briggle Pottery, Colorado Springs, US

The Van Briggle legacy that began in 1899 is well known amongst art pottery fans who search with fervor for Van Briggle pottery characterized by flower, animal and humans designs finished with a soft matte glaze.

The Van Briggle craft lives on today in the company’s studios in Colorado. Focusing on the traditional designs created by founders Artus and Anne Van Briggle, the studio’s works are rooted in the past. However, the modern Van Briggle craftsmen also have a keen eye on the future and create contemporary pieces which are complementary to the celebrated Van Briggle style.

A visit to Van Briggle’s gallery, shop and studios offer a chance to glimpse the second hundred years of this fine pottery brand in the making.

Address: Van Briggle Pottery
 1024 South Tejon, St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.

Moorcroft, Staffordshire, UK

William Moorcroft is behind the world renowned English pottery company that first opened its studio in 1897. Since those early days the Moorcraft brand has gone on to merit regular sales at Christies and Sotherbys and a collection of this artistic pottery placed within London’s pride, the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Located in Staffordshire in the middle of England, Moorcroft offers tours of its factory where visitors can witness in process the techniques that have been honed over 100 years and are still applied today. After a factory tour you can spend time in the elegant Moorcroft Museum before visiting the Heritage Visitor’s Centre to peruse and splurge on the kaleidoscope of designs for sale.

For art lovers searching for their next holiday destination, England is the perfect spot.

Address: Sandbach Road,
 Burslem,
 Stoke-on-Trent, 
Staffordshire, ST6 2DQ.
Tour times: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 11am and 2pm. Friday 11am.

Rookwood Pottery, Cincinnati, Ohio, US

Rookwood Pottery is a modern day example of an iconic brand battling through the worst of economic decline, starting with the Great Depression to emerge with its history and identity intact and all thanks to a group of passionate collectors. The impeccable craftsmanship and design of Rookwood pottery started life with a focus on naturally colored clays to produce works in splendid pinks, olive greens and grays.

Since being restored to glory Rockwood Pottery has re-establish a presence in its founding city, Cincinnati. Fan’s of this iconic potter can visit Rookwood’s Design and Tile Showroom, which is as much a celebration of the brand’s struggle and triumph as it is an opportunity to witness the craftsmanship of this pottery.

Address: 1920 Race Street
, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Contact for opening hours.

Haeger Potteries, Illinois, US

Haeger Potteries is now in its fourth generation of producers deriving from the Haeger family with 2011 marking the company’s 140th anniversary. The rich history of Haeger has seen many designs over time but its dedication to customers, craftsmanship and quality have remained the consistent throughout.

The factory store at Haeger is a genuine delight for art pottery lovers who can peruse and purchase premium pieces from the Royal Hager Gallery or visit the market for every day value ceramics. The Haeger Museum will take you on a tour of the company’s past as well as showing videos of the company’s ceramic production techniques.

Address: Van Buren Street, two blocks south of Rt. 72 in East Dundee, Illinois.
Opening hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 5pm. Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.

Porches Pottery, Algarve, Portugal

Porches Pottery may be one of the newer kids on the art pottery block but founder and Irish artist Patrick Swift managed to preserved the essence of Portuguese tile art when he opened his studio in the Algarve in the 1960′s that was popular in the country as far back as the 15th century. Today tiles, jugs and vases are created in a style that was popular as far back as the 15th century and might otherwise have been lost to Portugal forever.

The building that is home to Porches Pottery was designed by Swift in the style of an 18th century farmhouse and visitors there will feel be immersed in the essence of a thriving craft workshop.

Porches pottery works have been instrumental in the revival of the craft of art pottery in the region and provides the perfect reason for visiting the warm climes of Europe’s Portuguese Algarve.

Address: Porches Pottery, EN125, Porches 8400-451, Algarve, Portugal.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Saturday 10am to 2pm.

Continue reading »]]> Every second Sunday of the month, I make my early morning trip to the local Antique Faire here in Sacramento. This particular morning, my antique-hunting efforts were particularly fruitful. I started off looking for a few particular items, slowly meandering up and down aisles while I enjoyed my hot cup of coffee. I found one of the items I had on my list, a sterling napkin ring. I continued my browsing, when I happened upon a particularly chatty vendor. He had all sorts of weird and unique items of interest on his tables. It didn’t take me long to spot a flower frog with a dull-matte glaze. Instantly, I thought “Van Briggle!” I was familiar with the glaze and color, and the A-mark underneath the frog confirmed my thoughts.

The vendor saw me holding the frog and asked me if I knew it was Roseville pottery. I slyly said, “No, I didn’t know that.” I told him I would like it, and paid him $10. The flower frog had a beautiful checkered pattern on the top and was shaped like an upside-down sunflower with the Persian Rose glaze. This was one of the more unique flower frogs I would now own.

I continued to browse the aisles after my Van Briggle purchase, but I was hurried as I couldn’t wait to get home and add this piece to my collection.

I love collecting Van Briggle because of its colors and the matte-finish

Continue reading »]]> I was in the small town of Martinez in California with my sister going from antique stores to thrift stores. We weren’t looking for anything in particular, being collectors of many things, but just for anything that caught our eyes. We found a small store filled to the brim with bric-a-brac and collectibles. It was one of those stores where as soon as you walked in, your eyes were quick in finding treasures which appealed to taste.

After browsing the aisles and finding several items I was interested in purchasing, I decided to give the glass cases up front a once-over. The cases held all kinds of miscellaneous smaller collectibles. I saw a small burgundy-colored flower frog that I had never seen before. I instantly thought it could be a Van Briggle pottery piece. I asked the shop owner if I could see and hold the frog. The price tag had “Van Briggle?” written on it and the price of $18. The owner told me she really liked Van Briggle pottery. She told me Van Briggle pottery was from Florida, but based on my readings on your website, VanBriggle.net, I knew it was actually made in Colorado. I also knew the glaze on this frog was called the Mulberry glaze. I was a bit skeptical of any further knowledge or information she offered on this piece. I checked the bottom and found the tell-tale “A in a square box” mark. I knew for sure this was an authentic piece.

I asked for the best price, and she sold me the Van Briggle flower frog for $15. I was very happy with the fair price offered.

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A friend of mine has owned this gigantic pottery tile for over 30 years. The other day I finally asked him what he could tell me about it. The story he told me was fascinating. He began by telling me it weighs just over 40 pounds. It is 20 inches high and 17 ½ inches wide and is 2 inches thick at the border. The front is a cherub in relief in a grape arbor. The back is marked “Rookwood Faience” and what appears to be the number 1561.

Living and working in Chicago during the 1970s, one day at work he learned that the city was going to tear down the famous LaSalle Hotel, a 23-story building built in 1909 on LaSalle Street in the Loop. At the time it was built, it was a very luxurious hotel. The hotel had closed in July 1976. In a few days, the city was going to sell all the remaining contents of the hotel on a first-come, first-serve basis to the public.

A co-worker and fellow pottery buff told him that at one time there had been a Rookwood architectural tile installation in the hotel but that it had been destroyed in a major fire at the hotel on June 5, 1946.

When the hotel was built, Rookwood tiles were used in the Palm Room, an opulent dining room, and the German Grill located below ground level. It’s believed the installation in the grill consisted of a series of these larger tiles with each tile depicting a cherub in the act of making wine. The number of the tiles in the installation is unknown by my friend.

The 1946 fire killed 61 people including a fireman. The hotel was closed for just over a year for restoration, reopening in July 1947.

My friend immediately realized that he would have to get up early to be first in line at the sale, which he was. He thought that perhaps one or more of the famous tiles had survived and he’d rush in and buy it.

When the doors finally opened at 9:00 am in the morning, he rushed in and immediately asked people working there if they remember any tiles for sale. He was directed immediately to a room a short distance away. He told me he was shocked when he entered the room and saw five of these tiles sitting on a table. He checked each one carefully and quickly grabbed the only one that was perfect. The others had minor damage in several places.

He was told they had been discovered stored away in some room in a lower basement.

The price of each tile was $40.

His co-worker was right behind him as they entered the room and she selected two of the remaining tiles. They paid and my friend carried two tiles, a total of just over 80 pounds several blocks to where they worked.

He quickly mentioned the two remaining tiles to co-workers who rushed over and bought to other two. To this day he has no idea what happened to the other four tiles. All he knows is that he has the only perfect tile. It is one of his prized possessions, sitting in his home office where he can enjoy it every day.

The Rookwood Tile Company was founded in Cincinnati Ohio in 1880. Architectural tile was added in 1902. Over the early years of the last century, Rookwood tiles were installed in homes of the wealthy, a few hotels, and other buildings, and public spaces. Most of these installations are still in place today.

My friend isn’t sure but he believes that there are very, very few tiles of this size and weight in private hands today. Now you’ve had a chance to get a closer look at one of the famous Rookwood architectural tiles made just after the turn of the last century.

Continue reading »]]> Sometimes after buying your Van Briggle pottery secondhand it is not as clean as you might want it to be. Luckily, it is extremely easy to get your Van Briggle art back into looking its best.

One of the most critical things to consider when cleaning your Van Briggle pottery is WHERE you are cleaning it. If your piece drops, could it break? A great tip is to always put down a dishtowel or rag in the sink when cleaning anything of great or irreplaceable value. Make sure you are also holding your pottery low and not high up. If it drops or slips by accident, the towel will break the fall and the item you are cleaning will stay intact.

The first thing you will want to do is place your pottery inside of another large bowl or dish and fill it with warm mildly soapy water. Go ahead and let your Van Briggle soak for a couple hours.

After your Van Briggle has soaked, take a soft toothbrush and brush the problem areas of your piece using a small circular motion. Never scrub with the green rough side of a sponge. This can ruin the finish.

When done, set your Van Briggle pottery in a spot where it can dry naturally.

That was easier than you thought, wasn’t it?

Continue reading »]]> As you pick up a variety of pieces from different sources, you may find yourself curious about each piece’s history and date manufactured. There are several excellent books available on Amazon to guide you and help you date your Van Briggle pottery. These books contain a repetroir of pictures and marks.

The first book you will want to add to your library is called, “The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Van Briggle Art Pottery: An Indentification & Value Guide.” This book contains over 800 pieces of Van Briggle pottery. The book also has plenty of information about the creation processes, dating your pottery, and other company material. We purchased ours uses from Amazon and haven’t looked back since.

Another book you may also want to check into is, “The Story Behind the Clay: A Comprehensive Guide to Commissioned Van Briggle Specialty Pieces” book which has quite an impressive showcasing of some of the most unique Van Briggle pottery pieces you could ever come across.

Continue reading »]]> There are multiple venues to pursue in expanding your Van Briggle pottery collection. There is the option of buying directly from the Van Briggle website, where you can get the most recent pieces of art offered. You can find coveted Van Briggle vases and other pieces on Ebay, often for great prices. As you become more and more familiar with how to quickly identify a Van Briggle piece of pottery, you may even stumble across a hidden treasure at a garage sale or estate sale.

Buying Van Briggle pottery secondhand from a garage sale or estate sale will be one of the most exciting experiences you can have as you expand your collection. You have the hunt of searching through boxes, on top of tables, and items scattered through an estate. You carefully pick up your piece of primitive pottery with that dull matte finish and look under the bottom. You notice a large V, followed by the rest of that telltale Van Briggle signing. Perhaps you will even find an original cast, signed by the potter himself!