Rich of Calif

1950s Franciscan Starburst Shower Curtain

2012-10-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

One of the most popular Franciscan dinnerware patterns with today's collectors is the Starburst pattern. This was the cutting edge "Atomic" look so popular in the 1950s and 60's.
Spotted on eBay is a very cool Shower Curtain(!) in the classic Starburst pattern. Completists will want to check it out.
1950s Starburst Funny Shower Curtain by Cafe 633840819:

$59.50
End Date: Tuesday Nov-13-2012 9:41:05 PST
Buy It Now for only: $59.50
Buy It Now | Add to watch list

Brayton Laguna Singer and Piano Player

2012-09-07T13:18:00.001-07:00

Love this sweet Brayton Laguna California Pottery Piano Player Singer Group Rare Complete 3-pc.Vintage California pottery and ceramics. Bidding activity indicating that Brayton Laguna California Pottery Piano Player Singer Group Rare Complete 3-pc. may deserve watching by collectors. This vintage California pottery item was listed September 1st and is currently priced at $275.00 with 0 Bid. Go directly to this auction.

Vintage Metlox Orange Pottery Table Condiment Set

2012-08-29T12:12:00.001-07:00

Currently at shopgoodwill.com - shopgoodwill.com - #11321907 - Vintage Metlox Orange Pottery Table Condiment Set - 9/5/2012 8:30:00 PM:

Description:Vintage Metlox Orange Pottery Table Condiment Set. Features the orange glazed pottery table set includes salt & pepper shakers (with rubber stoppers), a sugar bowl with lid, and two oil & vinegar bottles with corked lids.
Manufacturer/Markings:Metlox - Made in California.
Dimensions:Oil & vinegar bottles are 7" x 3". Shakers are 3.5" x 1.5". Sugar bowl is 4.5" x 3".
Condition:Nice condition with no cracks or chips.

Hagen Renaker Links

2010-08-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Some links collectors of Hagen-Renaker figurines might find useful...

Hagen-Renaker on flickr
Hagen-Renaker Pieces on California Pottery Index
Hagen-Renaker search at Worthpoint

Sascha Brastoff Signatures

2010-08-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

The most desirable pieces are those with the full "Sascha Brastoff" signature, because they indicate that Brastoff personally designed and painted those pieces. Those signed "Sascha B" were produced either by decorators under his supervision using his designs, or by Brastoff himself. Sascha Brastoff Pottery was produced by Sascha Brastoff of California, Inc., in West Los Angeles, from 1953 until 1973.

CPI For Mobile Web

2009-12-31T00:51:00.001-08:00

I read an interesting fact this morning, that 20 percent of Americans access the interwebs from a hand-held smart phone of some sort. That struck me as a rather large percentage and prompted me to put together the framework of a mobile web version of the California Pottery Index. You can check it out on your web browser, but it is designed for a small screen and so looks better on your phone.

New Video On Howard Pierce Pottery

2009-08-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

Just posted a new video on Howard Pierce Pottery, maker of figurines in the 50s and 60s.

Find The Best Florence Figurines

2009-08-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

We found a wonderful gadget, or widget, over at the iGoogle directory, this is the Florence Ceramics Auction gadget. Embed this into any web page and have easy access to the best Florence Ceramics figurines currently up on eBay. We like it!

Brayton Laguna Pottery Video

2009-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Collectors of California pottery, especially figurines, are always on the lookout for Brayton Laguna Pottery pieces. Durlin E. Brayton made handcrafted vases, lamps, and dinnerware in a small kiln at his Laguna Beach, California, home from 1927 to 1968.
If you're interested in Brayton Laguna Pottery, here are a couple of informative videos to enjoy.

Know About Brayton Laguna Pottery

Wonderful Beatrice Wood Film on YouTube

2009-04-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was looking around on YouTube and stumbled upon Tom Neff's 1993 film "Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada." What an excellent look at the amazing Ms. Wood. I especially like her serendipitous approach to the glazing process. Fans of Beatrice Wood pottery will want to check out the entire film.

Weil Ware Snack Set

2009-04-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Weil Ware. Who says dishes have to be round? Well, whoever said it, Weil didn't listen to 'em. There's a very nice 31-piece Weil Ware snack set on eBay right now and the price is very reasonable under $30. A real pretty set but I'm more partial to the bamboo decorated pieces. I've never gotten around to building out a Weil Ware page at California Pottery Index, but do include them in the "More Potters" category. Yes, Weil Ware deserves better.

Winfield Tahoe

2008-05-28T09:18:00.001-07:00

Over at the Winfield Pottery page at California Pottery Index, Robbin Walker commented:

I have 4 round plates/ 2 bowls with what appears to be a version of the Tahoe pattern --the back of the plates say Gabriel Pasadena 227 and the bowls only say 182. I would like to find more of these items--any ideas or help would be appreciated. thanks Your site was very helpful!

Winfield Tahoe is a very classy dinnerware pattern, featuring pine cones and pine needles with a deep gray border. Not surprising that its hard to find as none of the Winfield patterns were what you would call "overproduced." A quick look at Replacements.com turns up nothing in stock.

I would think the best bet is keeping an eye on the eBay listings and grab a piece when you can.

Freeman-McFarlin Indian Chief on Horseback

2007-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

Over at California Pottery Index, Ron Carnes posted a question to us...

Help! We just acquired a large statue (19" tall) of a Native American Indian Chief seated on a horse with his right arm upraised. This is marked on the bottom Anthony California USA 168. The odd thing about this piece is that it seems to be made of metal, not ceramic. It is hollow and has a distinct metallic ring when struck lightly with another piece of metal. Both Indian and horse are done in an odd antiqued matte brown finish, and the Indian wears a white chief's headdress. From the signature, I believe this is a Maynard Anthony Freeman piece -- any ideas on what I have here? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Capt'n Ron

Our Answer to Ron

Hey Cap, I'd say what you have is a Freeman-McFarlin piece...it is hard, that's what keeps the chief from having a stump at the shoulder. The glaze sounds like the FM woodtone finish.
A place called the "Black Horse Ranch" has an example pictured in their online collection of ceramic horses, which is pretty cool in itself - check about a third of the way down in pic labeled "#C Upper".

Value? I'm not certain but would put it at least $125-150.

and here's a pic of the Chief from the Black Horse Ranch collection. Very cool piece.

Freeman McFarlin Mermaid Dish

2007-11-14T08:45:00.001-08:00

Isn't she a Sweetheart...1957 Freeman McFarlin Mermaid Dish.

Freeman-McFarlin Potteries began in the mid-1940s as a partnership between Gerald McFarlin and Maynard Anthony Freeman. McFarlin was the businessman of the pair and an established Southern California potter, having operated McFarlin Potteries in El Monte since 1927. Freeman was fresh out of the service and ready to try his hand at pottery design.
Most popular items from the company were the slip-cast earthenware sculptures of various animals; horses, dogs, cats, mice, coyotes, giraffes, owls, ducks and more.

Otto Heino in Ojai

2007-08-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know how long Otto Heino has had a website, but I just found it today. Mr. Heino has been throwing pots for over 50 years, and he's still working out of his Ojai studio...Otto's Pottery on McAndrew Road in Ojai.

The beautiful bowl to the left is a 12" bowl with oatmeal glaze with copper red. Absolutely wonderful

Check the website for a look at some of Otto's beautiful work, especially note the high-temperature yellow glaze that he has developed.
Otto Heino, one of the great California studio potters.

Mudman Standing on Barbara Willis

2007-07-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Ask me about Mudmen and my thoughts immediately jump to some sort of creature from the blackest of lagoons. "Mudmen!" I shout, "Mudmen scare me! Keep the Mudmen away from me!"
I don't know anything about mudmen, except what I just read on this webpage about mudmen. In short, mudmen are small ceramic figures incorporated into tabletop bonsai displays...little dioramas depicting Chinese village life.
On eBay right now is this Mudman fellow standing in the shrubbery. I don't know anything about him. I don't know anything about his greenery. But I do know that he is standing in a sweet mid-1940s Barbara Willis low bowl...square, chartreuse with tooled unglazed sides, about 5 and half inches square.
I wonder how hard it would be to de-Mudman this thing? I wonder how much I would regret doing that later?

Potter's Art in California

2007-07-25T16:39:00.001-07:00

I picked up a book last week that I recommend to all fans of California Pottery...The Potter's Art in California 1885 to 1955 by Hazel V. Bray. Published in 1980, this is the catalogue for a 1978 exhibit at Oakland Museum and Scripps College. Excellent information on the early potters of California...Alexander W. Robertson, Ernest Batchelder, Arequipa Pottery, Rhead Pottery and others from before the Great Depression. These are all the great artists who preceded the Mid-Century Modern crowd with whom California Pottery is most often associated. Those people are in here too...the great studio potters of 1940 to 1955...Glen Lukens, William Manker, Otto Heino, Edith Heath, Laura Andreson and others. Best part of the book are the super color and black and white photos of representative pieces.
Up top is a picture of some Arequipa Pottery from about 1913...a "Madrona" vase by Albert L. Solon and a beautiful green bowl by Frederick H. Rhead. The bottom pic shows a couple of bowls by Manuel Jalanivich and Ingevardt Olsen as well as a 1937 yellow plate by Glen Lukens.
The Potter's Art in California 1885-1955 is a wonderful addition for your California Pottery bookshelf. It's long out of print, but luckily its readily available from online booksellers...find it on Abebooks

D and M Tile and Hispano-Moresque Tile

2007-07-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Stumbled upon an interesting bit of info on a couple of mostly-forgotten Los Angeles tile makes...D and M Tile Company and Hispano-Moresque Tile. The California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica has had a display on the two companies for the past year and the basic info is still up on the museum website.

Arequipa T-Shirt on Cafepress

2007-07-09T10:32:00.001-07:00

I was reading the story of the Arequipa Sanitorium and its production of art pottery on the Oakland Museum of California website.
Very interesting stuff. Sadly, I'll probably never own a piece of Arequipa Pottery. I'll never have an Arequipa vase or bowl. A single piece of Arequipa tile is beyond my reach. So how about an Arequipa T-Shirt? That I can handle! I worked up this design for my RetroRanger Cafepress store last night. It utilizes a couple of Arequipa marks...the crossed initials and the tree with vase mark. It's a RetroRanger exclusive...Woo Hoo!

Twin Winton Mother Goose Cookie Jar

2007-07-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not really up on the cookie jar market, except to know that prices have come down substantially in the last few years. I can't help but thinking that this 1962 Twin Winton Mother Goose cookie jar currently listed on Shopgoodwill.com is worth more that the $5 opening price. It has some nice hand-painted details, which I think sets it apart from Twin Winton's normal production run. Anyway, five bucks for a pretty jar like that is a bargain. Closes 7/9.
UPDATE: Closed at $40.99

California Pottery Fan Mail

2007-07-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

What a nice email to receive:

"This is Pat and Cara. We just wanted to send you a note to say THANK YOU for your website on California Pottery!
It has been a great place for information and link-ins to where the "good stuff" is.
Wow! It is truly designed for the collector, but also, for beginner web surfers like us.
As a matter of fact, I'm not sure how I found you, but I do know how to bookmark, so we'll be able to return again!
We are novice collectors. We are very non-profit: we actually do this for FUN! We are just getting a kick out of where we pick up our knick knacks. Because of your website I have decided my "direction" will be California Pottery.
(Pat loves the Hull, Roseville and Weller stuff.)
I am an amateur American History buff and I truly enjoy reading the history of each pottery house.
We are certainly a talented country. How interesting that free enterprise and such incredible U.S. creativity was given away to cheap and imports.
Well, I dont' want to get on a soap box here!
Thank you, Mr. Tubbs! We appreciate your fine website! It has made our collecting more fun!
Sincerely,
Pat and Cara"

Thank you Pat and Cara. I really appreciate the encouraging words.

Barbara Willis Necklace

2007-07-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of anything made by the hands of Barbara Willis. And I love her story. She made some pottery for a while in the 40s and 50s and then got out of the business, and went about the rest of her life. Fast-forward to the 1990s, Barbara discovers that her old handiwork is on everybody's short-list of cool. Who'd of thought!
At that time Barbara started tinkering around with the pottery again at her Malibu home. The new items she makes are sold mostly local and through The Accessory Hut, at least they have her stuff when they can keep it in stock. But I haven't noticed too many of Barbara's new items popping up on eBay. They just haven't passed into the secondary market yet.
Currently listed though is this knockout Barbara Willis necklace from 2002. Its wonderful and 20 bucks is a steal.

Batchelder Fireplace Mantle

2007-07-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting eBay auction that bears watching. Someone in Redlands has an entire old Batchelder Tile fireplace surround for sale. Interesting in that the thing is unsalvaged and it tips the scale at 400 pounds. Because it hasn't been cleaned up and because its local pickup only the price might stay down. Certainly higher than the $5 opening bid, but I can't see runaway bidding on this.
I hate driving south of Sacramento (OK, honest truth, I avoid driving south of Red Bluff) so I'm not going to bounce down to Redlands in the truck to score these tiles, but I sure would jump on this if I were closer and if the price stays down. My quick figuring tells me that the tiles removed from the concrete could easily fetch $2,000 to $2,500 if parted out on eBay.
And that doesn't include the wonderful 28.5" by 3.75" tile in the center...the design being birds on grapevines. I wouldn't sell that. For two reasons: 1) Its just too cool, and 2) I'd probably break it trying to get it loose from the concrete.

UPDATE: LOL...Auction closed at $4500.

Great Website of Chinese Figurines

2007-06-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well, not Chinese Figurines, but figurines of Chinese people. I stumbled across an excellent website put together by Mark Lieu of San Francisco...Mark's Collection of Figurines of Chinese People from the 40s and 50s.
Mark has a extensive collection of over 800 figurines...a great many of which are by California potters like Brad Keeler, Hedi Schoop, Florence and others. The great thing about Mark's site are the wonderful detailed descriptions of each piece and the fabulous photographs, one of which we show here. These are Peasants with Baskets Planters by Kaye of Hollywood.
Mark's Collection = Well Worth Bookmarking

S-Quire Ceramics at CPI

2007-06-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

I've added
a listing for S-QUIRE Ceramics at the California Pottery Index. I don't know much about this company, except that they produced some very nice figures of men and women from their Los Angeles factory in the mid 1940s. Chief designer, probably the brains of the outfit, was someone named Zaida.
Really nice pieces that look much like Kay Finch or Hedi Schoop figurines. Any info on S-Quire or Zaida would greatly appreciated!