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Art Pottery Value Guide
We are actively seeking quality art pottery consignments. We are most interested in American art pottery made between 1880 and 1920. We have a list of more than 30 makers whose pottery can be valuable. The list if not comprehensive of all of the makers we handle. It covers most of the major art potteries that are considered collectible. The factors that affect values are typically size, color, style, and rarity. Our guide should help you determine if your pottery falls into the good, better, or best category. Please contact us to learn about our 0% consignment rates. MGarrett@ManifestAuctions.com
Arequipa Art Pottery
Arequipa Pottery was located in Fairfax, California. It operated between 1911 and 1918. Arequipa is collectible and popular today because the famous ceramicist Frederick Hurton Rhead briefly worked there and made some exceptional vases. Your typical Arequipa vase is worth a few hundred dollars. The best of the best can be worth closer to $10,000. These especially valuable vases should have raised squeeze-bag decoration. They should also be relatively tall and having some color never hurts.
Brouwer Art Pottery
Theophilus Brouwer is one of the few independent studio potters included in our guide. He worked out of Long Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. was a potter who worked out of Long Island, New York in the early 20th century. His pottery is popular because of the open firing technique. The best Brouwer vases have flame whipped glazes that create some really spectacular coloring. Brouwer pottery is very rare today. Most pieces sell for between $500 and $4,000 at auction.
Dedham Art Pottery
Dedham pottery was a three generation operation out of Chelsea and then Dedham, MA. Hugh Robertson founded the company then his son William, and then grandson Milton Robertson ran the factory. The best Dedham vases are known for their rich red and green volcanic vases. It is really all about the glaze. Size is not very important. Really great Dedham vases are few and far between. They can sell for between $2,000 and $5,000 at auction. Less interesting pots are worth a few hundred dollars.
Susan Frackelton Art Pottery
Most Susan Stuart Goodrich Frackelton pottery will look very similar to the vase we are showing in our guide. Frackelton pottery is rare and closely followed by specialists today. Frackelton was instrumental in teaching a generation of china decorators. She also invented a gas oven that could be used in the home. Her pottery is special today because it is just decorated with a blue glaze on plain earthenware, yet it is still beautiful. Most pieces are worth thousands of dollars.
Fulper Art Pottery
Fulper pottery created tens of thousands of pieces of pottery starting in 1899 in New Jersey. The large majority of Fulper pottery is relatively common an inexpensive. Most pieces retail for between $50 and $300. The best pieces are large shouldered vases and showpieces with exceptional glazes. We should also mention that Fulper lamps are very popular. A good lamp could be worth more than $10,000. Please contact us if you need exact value information.
Grand Feu Art Pottery
Grand Feu operated out of Los Angeles between 1912 and 1917. The supply of Grand Feu is very limited today and the best pieces are hotly contested at auction. It is not unusual for vases with exceptional glazes and eye appeal to sell for more than $10,000. Most Grand Feu vases have a dark metallic or green glaze. Grand Feu benefits greatly from being rare and from having been located in California. The vases alone are not extraordinary; the history surrounding them makes them desirable.
Grueby Art Pottery
Grueby, named after its founder William Henry Grueby, is one of the most celebrated pottery manufacturers from the arts and crafts era. Your typical Grueby vase is in an organic (usually vegetal) form with a matte green glaze. The absolute best Grueby vases can be worth in excess of $10,000. However, there is a much larger supply of vases worth a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Grueby tiles and lamp bases are also collectible and occasionally rare.
Hampshire Art Pottery
Hampshire pottery was founded by James Scollay Taft and it was located in Keene, New Hampshire. Hampshire pots are not as valuable as many other similar vases made during the same time period. Prices struggle because many Hampshire vases lack that original touch and flare that many other art and crafts vases have. Great Hampshire vases typically won’t be worth more than about $2,000. Their standard vase has a green glaze and typically sells for a few hundred dollars at auction.
Marblehead Art Pottery
If you like arts and crafts pottery then you have to love Marblehead. The history behind Marblehead is fascinating. The best news is that the best Marblehead vases can be worth more than $10,000. If you don’t have that kind of money to spend then there are plenty of vases that are worth less than $2,000. The difference between the two price points usually comes down to size, carving, color, and age. Early, tall, colorful, and carved pots with eye appeal bring the most money.
Merrimac Art Pottery
Merrimac pottery produced arts and crafts vases between 1902 and 1908 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The company was operated by T.S. Nickerson. There is no one word to sum up Merrimac pottery. Lots of different colors and shapes were used. There isn’t a signature look or style that commands the most money. Value is really all in the eye of the beholder. Some vases can sell for more than $5,000; many more are worth less than $2,000. The total supply is limited at best.
Newcomb College Art Pottery
Newcomb is likely our favorite art pottery maker. Their pottery was made by young woman attending the arts and crafts program at Tulane University. Newcomb College pottery is far from rare, but the best pieces are brilliant and can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Look for vases with carving, decoration, and glossy glazes. These are usually found on pieces made before 1910. There is a large supply of pottery made after 1910 that is worth $500 – $4,000 when sold at auction.
North Dakota School of Mines Pottery
University of North Dakota School of Mines (NDSM) pottery produced pottery for decades. There is a huge range in desirability and value. There are some exceptional pieces that collectors will pay thousands of dollars to buy. Other pots will struggle to find buyers for $100. The value really comes down to the maker and eye appeal. Pieces that date prior to 1930 have a chance to be special. Interesting carving and an arts and crafts decorating style never hurts. Contact us for more details.
George Ohr Pottery
George Ohr is likely the single most famous potter of the past 120 years. He worked in Biloxi, Mississippi. His pottery is truly unique. You can find pieces of all colors, shapes, and sizes. It is not unusual to see figural pottery. The best George Ohr vases can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Each piece is valued on an individual basis. We should mention that there are fake George Ohr pieces in the market today. Be very careful if you are buying. You should consult an expert first.
Overbeck Art Pottery
Overbeck is one of those potteries you have to know, but you probably won’t see much of their work. The supply is very limited and the good stuff that shows up usually sells quickly. The Overbeck sisters worked in Cambridge City, Indiana. Their pottery was created in the true spirit of the arts and crafts movement. Fortunately they happened to be good at it. Some Overbeck vases can be worth more than $10,000. A starting value point is usually $1,000, and prices go up quickly from there.
Pewabic Art Pottery
Pewabic is still open today and making pottery in Detroit, Michigan. We are specifically looking to auction pottery they made prior to 1920. Pewabic may not technically be the best art pottery out there, but if you are a glaze fan then you have to love Pewabic. Some of their glazes look like melted opal and mother of pearl. A very limited number of Pewabic vases have a chance to be worth $4,000 or more. The vast majority of vases sell for between $250 and $2,000.
Redlands Art Pottery
Pound for pound, Redlands is likely the single most valuable art pottery out there today. Surviving pieces are few and far between. Redlands pottery was made and sold in California. That is where most examples are found today. The pottery is easily distinguishable for its dark clay and bronzed color. Most pieces are decorated with incised creatures like frogs, crabs, sharks, etc.
Rhead Santa Barbara Pottery
The name Frederick Hurten Rhead gets tossed around frequently when talking about the best art pottery. Rhead ran his own operation for a few years (1914-1917) in Santa Barbara, California. There is not a tremendous supply of pottery from this operation. Most pieces you see on the market today are small but interesting and valued at a few thousand dollars. There are a handful of truly amazing monumental pieces that Rhead made while running his Santa Barbara factory. You will know if you have one.
Robineau Art Pottery
Adelaide Alsop Robineau was the leading female ceramist of the 20th century. Her pottery was retailed by Tiffanys and purchased by museums. There is a very limited supply of AR pottery today. Most of it is still in museums or closely held by the few people lucky enough to own it. Not all of her work is prohibitively expensive. Some pieces are available for a couple thousand dollars. The great stuff is usually worth a few thousand dollars or more. Demand continues to increase.
Roblin Art Pottery
Roblin pottery is a curious art pottery maker. They were only open for a very short period of time in the 1900s before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake hit and destroyed their operation and most of their inventory. Had Roblin produced more pottery they might not be as important today. You will typically encounter bisque clay vessels or lightly decorated vases. The best Roblin pottery is rarely worth more than $2,500. Many more pieces are available for less than $1,000.
Rookwood Art Pottery
If you only know one American pottery manufacturer then you should know Rookwood. Rookwood was started by Maria Longworth Nichols Storer in 1880. Pottery has been made under the Rookwood name off and on since then. Shapes aren’t terribly important; but decoration and glazes are. Rookwood vases can be worth anywhere from a few dollars to more than $100,000. No other company has more vases that can potentially be worth in excess of $10,000 than Rookwood.
Roseville Art Pottery
Roseville Pottery was made in Roseville, Ohio starting in 1890. We are mostly including in our guide for the sake of completeness. The large majority of Roseville pottery is very common and worth less than $100 in most cases. However, the top 1% of the production can be worth in excess of $2,000. Top prices are reserved for early pieces with carving and especially nice decoration. We are most interested in auctioning rarer Roseville that has a chance to create a lot of bidder interest.
Saturday Evening Girls Art Pottery
Saturday Evening Girls (SEG) also known as Paul Revere Pottery (PRP) made lots of great art pottery in Massachusetts in the early part of the 20th century. Lots of SEG pottery is relatively affordable. Small things like plates and cups generally sell for a few hundred dollars. However, there is plenty of room for that price point to be higher when it comes to monumental pieces. Vases, large bowls, and other pots that are large with colorful decoration and exceptional carving can be worth thousands of dollars or more.
Teco Art Pottery
William Day Gates founded The American Terra Cotta and Ceramic Company in Illinois in 1879. Teco is generally considered one of the more elite lines of American Art Pottery. The best of the best has the possibility to be worth more than $10,000. Most Teco pottery is marked, but it is also relatively easy to identify from a distance. The majority of their pottery has a light green color. Most shapes tend to be tall with a light and airy feel. Each shape has a number, and some shapes are more desirable than others.
University City Art Pottery
It can be tough to value University City pottery. The output is limited and most pieces are more a reflection of the tastes of the artist and not the pottery. Frederick Hurten Rhead and Adelaide Alsop Robineau both worked at UC pottery. Buying a vase from University City is often the most affordable chance to buy a piece of pottery from either artist. There are a very rare pieces by Rhead while at UC that can be worth more than $100,000. Most other simple vases and bowls are worth a few thousand dollars.
Van Briggle Art Pottery
Van Briggle pottery was made in Colorado Springs, CO starting in 1901. Most Van Briggle is mold made and relatively predictable. Unlike the picture we are showing, most Van Briggle vases have light relief with pastel and other pale colors. Van Briggle has been more popular in years past than it is today. With that said, there are still some serious collectors paying up for the best of the best. The top 10% of the market has the chance to sell for more than $1,000.
Walley Art Pottery
William J Walley (WJW) is the namesake behind Walley Pottery, which operated out West Sterling, Massachusetts from about 1898 until 1919. Walley pottery is great, but it isn’t one of the big names in art pottery. The supply of Walley is limited. Pieces only appear on the market a few times a year. Auction results are really hit and miss. Most Walley looks very similar to other New England art pottery. The median price is around $2,000, with the market topping out at around $5,000.
Walrath Art Pottery
Frederick Walrath made pottery under his own name from 1904 until his death in 1921. Being an independent studio potter almost 100 years ago, there is a very limited supply of Walrath pottery. That means that the supply is low. The demand isn’t incredibly high, but there are some serious collectors. Great Walrath pottery is tall with some interesting decoration. Pieces like that can sell for several thousand dollars or more. Small and less detailed vases are worth less money.
Weller Art Pottery
Weller pottery moved to Zanesville, Ohio in 1882 and closed in 1948. By 1915 Weller was the largest pottery manufacturer in the world. There is really nothing rare about Weller. If you know anything is about antiques then you know supply and demand is key. There is absolutely an overabundance of vases priced between a few dollars and $100. The best Weller pottery should be immediately noticeable. It will be tall with decoration. Amazing vases can sell for more than $2,000.
Need An Auction Estimate Or Offer?
Please contact us with pictures of your art pottery and we will respond back quickly with how much we think it should see for at our next auction. We can also make an offer if you are looking to sell privately. MGarrett@ManifestAuctions.com