Classic Pottery Bookends From Famous Makers
Southeast Ohio was once the home of many famous pottery makers. Even today, names like Hull, McCoy and Robinson Ransbottom still echo through the Muskingum River Valley. Pottery bookends are among some of the most collectible pieces from these well known pottery makers.
The area around the Muskingum River Valley provided the perfect combination of natural resources that included a ready source of fine grade clay. Often found along the seams of coal that dotted the subterranean landscape, the clay gave birth to over fifty pottery manufacturers. The abundance of coal provided a great source of energy to fuel the kilns that were needed to fire the clay.
The fine quality of the clay found in and around towns like Zanesville, Crooksville and Roseville produced porcelain like quality. A combination of artistry and quality has made pottery from this area some of the most collectable in the country if not the world. Pottery bookends from southeast Ohio stand as a testament to the century of fine pottery making that continues today. Annual events are held to celebrate and commemorate the rich traditional of pottery making, drawing thousands of collectors and pottery enthusiasts.
Some pieces were created strictly for the sake of art while others, like bookends, had a functional purpose as well. In the early days of pottery making, form most definitely followed function. From bowls, pitchers and other useful pieces, scarce resources were not ordinarily expended on purely decorative pieces. This was especially true in ancient times. This is not to say that a flower vase or ewer could not be useful and decorative at the same time. During the heyday of pottery making in Ohio, decorative and commemorative pottery pieces gained in popularity.
Companies like McCoy and Hull are famous for vases and planters that doubled as bookends. How beautiful it was to have fresh cit flowers adorning the bookshelf. Many of the pottery bookends produced during the early to mid twentieth century closely followed the arts and craft movement and eventually the art deco form. McCoy pottery was also well known for producing many different themes that included various plant and leaf patterns. In addition to bookends and such, popular forms of McCoy and Hull included distinct fluted vases and deep color glazing patterns.
The lovely McCoy White Horse bookends were first produced during the nineteen forties. Porcelain white in shade, the figures depict two draft horses rearing up on their back legs. The colorful birddog bookends, also from McCoy, feature beautifully detailed depictions of hunting dogs having just retrieved some game birds.
The Roseville bush berry pattern is a very collectible bookend that, if found in perfect condition, can fetch hundreds of dollars. The Roseville Zephyr Lily bookend is a beautifully unique pattern and is highly prized among some collectors. This distinctive pattern features a yellow lily, shown on full bloom, placed in the middle of an open book. The Roseville magnolia blue is another highly prized and collectible set of pottery bookends. Set in a simple green L shape, the flowering magnolia is placed in the center with a subtle accent of sunburst surrounding the flower.
Most of the kilns that produced some of the worlds most recognizable pottery are cold, or have disappeared forever. The dozens of pottery and stoneware producers that once dotted the landscape of southeast Ohio have dwindled to a handful.
The internet has provided collectors from all over the world with the opportunity to gain an appreciation for these pieces of Americana. As with any collectible pottery bookend, the buyer must always be wary of fakes and knockoffs.
About the Author
Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular decorative bookend site:
http:/www.decorativebookends.com. He provides interesting information buying and collecting decorative bookends.
www.decorativebookends.com
|
|
Norpro Stoneware Butter Keeper $5.52 Butter stored in the fridge tastes like leftovers and tears up your toast, while butter stored on the counter spreads easily but goes rancid in days. What to do? Norpro has the answer. Simply pack the Norpro Butter Keeper’s inverted lid with softened butter, put an inch or so of cool water in the base, and invert the lid on top. Water makes an airtight seal between lid and base, keeping butt… |
|
|
Corelle Livingware Winter Frost 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4 $29.63 Since Corelle is famous for producing dinnerware and bakeware that cannot be broken or chipped, it’s hard to resist holding a plate without wanting to drop it on the tile floor to see what happens. While Corelle doesn’t recommend home tests, this casual 16-piece dinnerware set is still fairly indestructible and is a real asset for busy families. Livingware is easy to maintain as it’s dishwasher-, … |
|
|
Odor-Free Countertop Compost Keeper $32.99 Store vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, greens and other food scraps until you have time to deposit them into your outdoor compost. Two charcoal filters in the vented lid control odors. Ceramic with stainless-steel carrying handle. Hand wash. 1-gal. 7″ Dia. x 11″H.Product Features• Ceramic composter is perfect for storing vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds and other or… |
|
|
You Can Glue It! – How to Repair Broken Ceramics, China, Porcelain, and Pottery [VHS] $9.98 You Can Glue It! demonstrates simple techniques to successfully restore broken china, ceramics, porcelain or pottery using common household products. The video shows how to select the best glue for your project, position pieces correctly for gluing, unglue old poorly glued pieces, remove stains, fill cracks, make a missing piece, and paint to camouflage cracks…. |
|
|
Pro-Quality 20-Piece Diamond-Point Bit Set for Rotary Tool – Glass, Stone, Ceramic $1.10 Professional Quality, 1/8 in. Shank, 180 Grit. Includes 20 assorted shapes covered with diamond particles. All bits have 1/8 in. shanks and come in convienient plastic holder. Excellent for fine detail work, cutting, engraving, carving, touch-up and finishing. Use on wood, jade, ceramic, glass, hardened steel, semi-precious stones and other hard materials…. |
|
|
Water Dispenser Replacement Faucet – White $4.15 3/4 inch white Tomlinson lever faucet for use with ceramic water dispensers…. |
|
|
Dremel 545 Diamond Wheel $12.00 Dremel 545 Diamond Wheel The Dremel EZ Lock makes accessory changes easy as PULL – TWIST – RELEASE. The one-piece mandrel design simplifies the process of changing cutting wheels and makes it easy to cut through plastic. For use with the EZ402 EZ Lock Mandrel. Dremel 545 Diamond Wheel Features: Cuts 1/2″ thick floor tile Cuts ceramic materials Straight cuts with little dust Easy to assemble… |
|
|
Chinese Figures / Chinese Pottery and Porcelain $6.25 … |
|
|
Chinese Figures & Chinese Pottery and Porcelain $7.50 Clay Zhang is the representative of Chinese clay figurines. This documentary focuses on Clay Zhang by relating him to the development of Chinese clay figurines and its forms of arts. Tianjin clay figurines, Henan clay figurines, and Huishan clay figurines have different features which vividly show you the uniqueness of Chinese clay figurines. Marco Polo spent 24 years in China and brought many cu… |
|
|
Melitta Porcelain Gourmet 6 Cup Coffeemaker, $35.89 Elegance, convenience and fresh brewed taste is all included in this Melitta tradition. Our Porcelain coffeemaker prepares six cups of coffee, with that fresh brewed taste, using Melitta number 4 filters…. |
|
|
Oblong Pottery Platter $111 - Hand thrown pottery |
|
|
South Fork Pottery with Iron Bases, Set of 3 $362 -Hand forged iron pottery – Largest pottery is 15″W |
|
|
White Porcelain Carnation $111 -Porcelain |
