California Potteries and Marks

Pottery Location Dates American Pottery Los Angeles, California 1940–1946 Architectural Pottery Los Angeles, California 1950–1971 Batchelder Ceramics Pasadena, California 1936–1951 J. A. Bauer Pottery Los Angeles, California 1909–1962 Marc Bellaire Culver City, California early 1950s–1994 Sascha Brastoff Los Angeles, California 1947–1973 Brayton Laguna Laguna Beach, California 1927–1968 California Faience Berkeley, California 1924–early 1950s (stopped making […]

Weil Of California (1940s-1956)

The California Figurine Company, founded in the late 1930s, became Weil of California in the mid-1940s. The Los Angeles company produced dinnerware along with kitchenware, figurines, and artware. Max Weil, the owner, died in 1954, and the company closed in 1956. This pottery girl must have looked very different when a small plant was tucked […]

Kay Finch Ceramics (1935–1963)

Kay Finch Ceramics were made in Corona Del Mar, California, from 1935 to 1963. Kay Finch started making ceramics in a kiln at home. Her whimsical animal figures were sold to shops, and the firm expanded. When World War II began, imported ceramics from Germany and Japan were no longer available, and business again increased. […]

Sascha Brastoff (1947–1963)

Costume designer Sascha Brastoff (1918–1993) opened a ceramics plant in Los Angeles in 1947 and made hand-painted vases, bowls, ashtrays, and figurines. In 1953 he managed a production staff of 80 workers. Overglaze gold trim and flamboyant decoration were his hallmarks. He introduced fine china dinnerware in 1954. The company’s ceramic products also included earthenware […]

Metlox Poppets

Metlox poppets are whimsical earthenware figures partially decorated with glazes. Each poppet had a tag with a name and comical description of the character, which ranged from a cigar-store Indian to Dominique, the nun, and Babe, the baseball player. Some had attached bowls that could hold pencils, keys, or small flower arrangements. Eighty-eight figures were […]

Florence Ceramics Company (1942–1977)

Florence Ward (c.1898–1991) started making ceramics in Pasadena, California, in 1939. By 1942 she was making figurines, busts, wall plaques, smoking sets, lamps, boxes, candleholders, and other gift-shop items in a kiln next to her garage. The “garage” period ended in 1944, when Florence Ceramics moved to a plant that eventually employed 54 people. The […]

Hedi Schoop Art Creations (1942–1958)

Hedi Schoop fled Germany for Hollywood, California, in the early 1930s. Her slipcast ceramic figurines were popular before she started Hedi Schoop Art Creations in 1942. She also made figural planters and vases. Her company closed in 1958, but Schoop then did freelance work for other potteries. Although Hedi Schoop was well known for her […]

Howard Pierce (1941-1994)

Howard Pierce started his studio in Claremont, California, in 1941 after leaving Manker Ceramics. He made bird, animal, and human figurines for the giftware trade. He also made jasperware with backgrounds of brown, green, or blue, and a line of vases and lamps. Pierce moved his studio to Joshua Tree and semi-retired in 1968. He […]

J. A. Bauer Pottery (1909–1962)

John A. Bauer moved his stoneware business from Paducah, Kentucky, to Los Angeles in 1909. It made flowerpots and useful stoneware items. About 1914 the company developed an art pottery line of glazed vases, bowls, and jardinières. The art pottery with matte green glazes on a redware body was made until the mid-1920s. Bauer introduced […]

Catalina Marks

Early pieces were marked with an ink stamp. Later an incised mark Catalina, Catalina Island, Catalina Isle, or Catalina Island Pottery was used. A silver and black paper label is found on some pieces. Catalina Pottery pieces made by Gladding, McBean are marked Catalina Pottery and often also have Made in USA as part of […]