AROUND HOME : Art Pottery

DURING THE LATE 19th Century, there was a strong reaction in the United States against the mass production of the Industrial Revolution. The Arts and Crafts Movement, which had made such an impact in Europe, had an equally powerful effect on the decorative arts in America. Many small, independent potteries sprang up in different parts of the country, employing artists and designers who turned out unique, handmade ceramics.

Surely the most significant date in American art pottery history was 1880, when the famous Rookwood Pottery was established in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its products defined the essence of art pottery: ceramic work made of earthenware, stoneware or porcelain, created primarily for aesthetic and decorative purposes. Art pottery is a term indicating that special area of American ceramics made during a specific period and placing great emphasis on individual craftsmanship. The era of pottery lasted from about 1870 to 1920, and well into the 1930s in California. It has by no means vanished today.

Characteristic art pottery pieces, and the ones likely to be found by the collector today, follow the general form and decoration of Rookwood Pottery. Every kind of ceramic was made in every shape and size, from tiles to dinner plates, but the typical piece was a vase, decorated with leaves and flowers in the art nouveau manner.

During the years of its popularity, there were more than 100 potteries, many of them very small indeed. Some were located near the rich clay deposits of Ohio, and others appeared in many different states, from Colorado to Arkansas. In California, 15 groups of artists produced fine work in potteries ranging from California Faience in Berkeley to Rhead Pottery in Santa Barbara, from Robertson Pottery in Los Angeles to Valentien Pottery in San Diego.

Fortunately, much of the early art pottery has survived. Though the rarest work from the smallest potteries commands prices that can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, a good deal of art pottery can be found today for far more modest prices.

Look for art pottery at Buddy’s, Couturier Gallery and Atmosphere Gallery in Los Angeles; Main Street USA in Venice; El Adobe (by appointment), and Jack Moore Arts and Crafts in Pasadena; Roberta Gauthey Antiques in Laguna Beach; Snooty Fox and Old California Store in Ventura, and Wild Goose Chase in Santa Ana.