California Pottery (USA)

I picked up this space age ashtray last year and I love it (I have a huge collection of ashtrays). Hope this montage shows it enough. The label says California Originals Torrance Calif. and I think the form number is 309

This little spoon rest is used constantly (I love my tea!) so it's not mint but it is lovely



and the base hand inscribed Treasure Craft 19[copyright symbol]62 Compton Calif

Whereabouts did you find them - I absolutely never come across any American pottery OR glass in my neck of the woods (which is a shame because I'd love some Blenko and Bischoff glass). The orange ashtray is fab - I have a fair few ashtrays myself (not because I'm a smoker but because you can pick some brilliant ones up for next to nothing - as I'm sure you're already aware!)

The space age ashtray came from eBay. Not sure whether UK or Germany which is where I buy a lot of stuff. The spoon rest origin is lost in the mists of time I'm afraid it just seems to have been with us forever. My husband thinks he can remember picking it up in a charity shop a long time ago.

Of the several pottery companies that cropped up in California in the early part of the 20th Century, perhaps the best known and most widely collected is the Bauer Pottery Company. Originating in Kentucky about 1885, where they made primarily whiskey jugs and farm crocks and such, the J.A. Bauer Company moved west to Los Angeles California in about 1915. From early on they had an "art" line of matte green glazed to service the popular Arts & Crafts era mission style. They also had a few basic stoneware glazes, and produced redware garden pots, unglazed stoneware, and painted items. In the 1930's they began producing colorful sets of dishes which became very popular and widely imitated. The most popular line was "Ringware", which remained in production until the company closed in 1962. Beginning in the 1930's they also began to produce a brightly colored hand thrown series of artwares most often attributed to 2 potters, Matt Carlton and his nephew Fred Johnson. The pictures show: early artware (1915-1925), Ringware dishes, 1930's Matt Carlton art pottery, several turquoise "Hi-Fire" line pots thrown by Fred Johnson (the lower left pot is by Matt Carlton).

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