Reasons For Collecting Antique Pottery

Beauty – Pottery is an art. Creating a pottery piece is labor intensive, dangerous and fairly unpredictable. (especially in the old days) A number of steps and devotion goes into its creation. In some sense I believe the potters energy is transferred to the clay he or she works. I appreciate the skill and artist vision required to produce these aesthetically pleasing pieces of art.

Yesteryear – As a kid I would often accompany my parents to antique stores, flea markets and garage sales. I had a happy childhood. Perhaps picking through layers of dust latent items in stale smelling air takes me back to that time?

Utility – Pottery items have purpose, even if it is only to look pretty. The majority of pottery items hold or support something else. Food is served, flowers displayed, books supported, liquid mobilized and plants grown with ceramic assistance. They are essential tools that have enabled our modern lives to become more civilized and beautiful.

Important History – Pottery has been produced for 10′s of thousands of years. It was probably discovered by our ancestors building a fire on ground rich with clay. After discovering the rock like result in the fire pit, someone came up with a life altering idea. I believe that it is in my innate makeup to appreciate the stuff and it forms. When I buy and clean an under appreciated garage sale find, I am in essence reintroducing it into the world by assigning it its rightful importance. I become the pottery’s temporary caretaker for future enthusiasts.

Imagination – Along with the ancient history goes the more recent history of antique pottery. When I find and buy a piece, of let’s say Rookwood, my imagination begins to travel back and through time. I dream of the time period in which it was created. What was America like then? Where was this made? Who specifically had there hands in its birth? Where may this piece have traveled in its eighty plus years of existence? Who and how many may have owned it. What items may have been in it or used with it? How long will this pottery item remain on earth in its current form? Etc. Etc. I’ve found that posing and focusing my attention on these imaginative questions is almost meditative.

Mystery – Discovering an antique pottery piece that is pleasing to my eye is just the beginning. After getting the item home, a rewarding bit of sleuthing commences. The process of investigating marks and initials, studying forms, glazes and techniques can be not only interesting but, lends itself to enrich the other bullets on this list. For example, if I’m able to nail down that a piece of pottery was created by Niloak around 1915, I can more easily imagine prewar WWI Arkansas and the hands that may have taken part in its development. (Such as Charles Dean “Bullet” Hyten or a potter named Arthur Dovey) The more specific the details concerning the ware, the more interesting and valuable it becomes.

Discovery – There is a certain rush of adrenaline associated with spotting a valuable piece of antique pottery on a thrift store shelf. The excitement of picking it up and hastily checking for chips while glancing over the ridiculously low price is oh so much fun. A sense of personal satisfaction comes with purchasing a two dollar piece of pottery while knowing that the item is coveted and valuable to collectors.

Education – Antique pottery collecting has become a way for me to not only learn about the past but also remain current with technology as well. By combining my passions for pottery and computers, I’ve created and maintain two websites and a blog concerning the topic.

Hunting – Looking for places to uncover cool pieces of antique pottery is fun. It takes me to different towns, cities and out of the norm places. While in the hunt there are many different things to see, new locations to experience and unique (sometimes weird!) people to meet. It’s nice to stop and smell the flowers along the journey. There is always something new in the pursuit of the old.

Value – Antique pottery can be quite valuable. Hoarding a collection of worthy pieces is as good as having money in the bank. It’s also pretty nice to get a hundred dollars on Ebay for something I bought for three bucks!

Well, there you have them. If these reasons don’t suffice in answering the question why I collect antique pottery, perhaps this simple explanation will do…Maybe I’m just as quirky and unique as some of the pieces I collect!

Do You Like Collecting Pottery?

Pottery and china are words bandied about without really being aware of what they mean; for the collector it is necessary to understand the basics so he can know what he has or is buying. All ceramics are based on some form of clay found locally or imported. Earthenware is the basic clay based product fired at 1000°C to 1150ºC and is usually porous e.g. simple pots like flower pots. Stoneware is the basic clay fired at 1150ºC to 1400ºC and tends to be non-porous e.g. Royal Doulton jugs and pots Porcelain is make from kaolin clay (white in colour) or similar and fired at 1300ºC. This tends to be hard and brittle. There are soft paste and hard paste variants on this as well. Other variants include bone, hence bone china and porcelain and should not be confused with modern materials which are much more sophisticated.

All the potters worldwide made variations on these basic processes and there are hundreds of additives which changed the characteristics of the clay, Wedgwood developed Jasperware in the 18th century which is a stoneware with properties of porcelain still in production today. There are any number of glazes used to seal the body or decorate it. It is a very complex subject because every potter was trying to outdo his competitor and still is. Suffice it to say there are variations in these production methods, whether it is the huge mass producers or the small studio potter. All are collectible.

All pottery produced is subject to chipping or damaged. It is then often invisibly repaired. So well that even the experts can’t tell. If this is the case and the piece is very rare then this may not matter,because the rareness and difficult to obtain.Damage to any collectable pottery drops the value, sometimes dramatically. Generally repaired Moorcroft is not desirable and difficult to sell on. Collectors don’t like it. So move around with your UV lamp and take council from other collectors and dealers. The auction houses are not of much use generally.

You can learn how to collect pottery from this video:

How About Collecting Pottery

Sometimes people get really confused when it comes to recognizing the original pottery from the fake ones. You can find the McCoy pottery items in auctions and exhibitions. You can take the help of these lovely decorative pieces to decorate your home. If you are also facing this problem, then you must definitely take the help of dealers and suppliers working in the market. These precious items can be used for decorating their homes or for making a good collection of pottery items. If you are also interested in collecting a few pieces then you can collect all the information with the help of online websites.Various auctions are organized from time to time which would help you to purchase authentic accessories at great rates.

One company that gained immense popularity during this period was McCoy pottery. Sometimes the items displayed on online websites are not authentic that is why you must carry out you search very carefully. These accessories gained immense popularity when the McCoy Pottery company was in existence. Search through two or three good antique shops before you purchase the items that are most suitable for you. If you have internet access at home then you can also search for the pottery items online.

I am quite sure that this article would certainly provide you all the important information that you require about the antique McCoy Pottery.If you have a good collection of antique pottery, then you must surely consider purchasing these accessories. There are various US based pottery companies operating in the market but one company that gained immense popularity is McCoy Pottery company. This company is no longer in operation but the items that were manufactured many years ago are still in circulation and you can purchase them in any antique shop or from auctions and exhibitions. As there are various fake items also being sold in the market, you have to be extremely careful when you purchase the accessory.

“There are only few dealers in the market who actually sell authentic and real accessories to the customers. In order to earn profit, many dealers also sell fake items to the collectors that is why you need to be highly careful while you are making your purchase. If you want then you can search for myriads of options on online websites. It is known fact that is most of the cases antique pottery items are very difficult to find. “You just have to order the items and they would be shipped to your home within a week. Some online websites have some great options when it comes to the McCoy Pottery items.

Have You Ever Bought A Pottery?

If you have decided to buy a pottery kiln, don’t get overwhelmed by all the different models available out there.When you tried making pottery for the first time, you may have been a bit overwhelmed by all of the different aspects of ceramics like glazing, firing, and using a pottery wheel. There were so many things to learn, so many aspects to look into. Just because you have gotten past that and are looking to buy a kiln, there is no need to be overwhelmed all over again.Size matters in kilns. You can choose the standard sizes in kilns, ranging from small kilns used to fire tiny jewelry parts to sizes of these different dimensions for a weekend enthusiast. have always been addicted to books. I blame it on my mother, who used to take me to the public library with her when I was a child. While she loaded up on several novels to satisfy her speed-reading abilities for the week, I wandered throughout the library, and discovered the joy of learning.

Some of my favorite pottery is from the Zaklady Ceramiczne factory from Boleslawiec, Poland. This factory is one of the oldest Polish Pottery factories in the country, and has some of the most affordable as well as colorful, and quality pieces available. We’ve learned that there are different qualities of Polish Pottery pieces, including 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. The first quality Polish Stoneware suggests that the artistic painting is of very fine quality, and that it is safe to use in the microwave, oven, dishwasher, and freezer. A second quality rating may mean that it has a slight error in the painting but is still functional, and third quality means that it is suitable for display only.

You can purchase the antique accessories at various auctions and online stores. There are various pottery brands which are operating on a large scale and selling unique and highly beautiful accessories. These days people really like to purchase excellent accessories and unique equipments with the help of which they can decorate their homes without any difficulty. If you are also thinking of giving your home a brand new look then consider purchasing the thrilling McCoy pottery items. These items are still sold in various antique and specialty sale shops all around the world.McCoy pottery was a very well known brand that manufactured pottery items in the late 19th till early 20th century in United Sates of America.

The McCoy pottery is available in various different designs, shapes and styles that you can purchase according to your preference. Unique colors and designs for used in order to create an array of different options that were used for serving food and drink and also as a decorative item. You must also see the present physical condition of the pottery before purchasing it. If the pottery is in very good condition then you will see that it can really be very expensive.Make sure you read this article at least once for further information. Have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself while preparing wheel thrown pottery. So, just stay stylish and decorate your home. So, this was all about hand thrown pottery in detail. You need to look for some cool options that can make your life pretty easy. The designs made on these mugs are simply exceptional and can suit everyone’s needs.