Category Archives: Pottery

Ordinary thrift shop lamp…or work of art?

Posted on September 6, 2016 by sarathurston

Someone recently asked in a Facebook group about a lamp she’d inherited from her grandmother. It was very retro, with a corset-shaped base and white drum shade. She said it was marked “Tye of California.” I’m not much of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Art, Collectibles, Etsy, Lighting, Pottery, Vintage and Antique Furniture, Why Are Antiques Important? | Tagged Antiques Roadshow, ceramic lamp, Etsy, mid century lamps, Raoul Dufy, thrift decor, Tye, Tye of California, valuable lamp, Vintage lamps | Leave a comment

Alice Annglow: The definition of cottage chic.

Posted on August 29, 2015 by sarathurston

One of the best things about spending summers at my family’s Janvier Road bungalow was being surrounded by antiques. I’m sure that’s where I found my love for all things old. The bungalow was built around 1910, and I assume … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Pottery | Tagged 1930s decor, Alice Annglow, Cottage chic, Edwin Knowles, Edwin M. Knowles, mid-century, Pre war decor, semi-vitreous, shabby chic, tableware | Leave a comment

So. Is it Cronin or Cameron?

Posted on August 27, 2015 by sarathurston

Anyone who was alive in the 1960s must remember these pottery pieces. They were everywhere! The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P to most of us) gave them away as premiums to encourage customer loyalty. In fact, A&P was … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Collectibles, Pottery | Tagged 1950s decor, A&P stores, blue pottery, Blue Tulip, Cameron, collectible pottery, Cronin, mid-century, pitcher, pottery, retro kitchen, serving pieces, tulip, turquoise, vintage pottery | 2 Comments

Underneath the plate: Ironstone, Stoneware and Earthenware – Final in a Two-Part Series

Posted on June 6, 2013 by sarathurston

OK, so it said “ironstone.” It did, right on the back of my Mason’s pin dish. But I still thought of it as porcelain. It was a plate! It looked like porcelain, it felt like porcelain – what did I … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Collectibles, Etsy, Majolica, Porcelain, Pottery | Tagged American Stoneware, Bennington Pottery, creamware, delft, delftware, earthenware, faience, ironstone, majolica, Mason's Ironstone, Minton marks, porcelain, pottery, raku, Red Wing pottery, redware, Ridgway, Rosso Antico, salt glazed pottery, semi-porcelain, Shang Dynasty, Spode, Stone china, stoneware, terra cotta, Wedgewood, Wedgwood marks | 2 Comments

Underneath the plate: Porcelain — First of a two-part series about ceramics

Posted on June 4, 2013 by sarathurston

Is that old tea set porcelain or bone china? Whether you’re collecting or selling, it’s worth knowing the difference. Not only is it fun to learn something new, the type of material can affect the price of the item. Disclaimer: While … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Collectibles, Etsy, Fairings, Porcelain, Pottery | Tagged antique porcelain, bone ash, bone china, Bow Porcelain, calcium phosphate, ceramics, child tea set, China, feldspar, fine China, glazed porcelain, hard paste porcelain, Jiangxi, Josiah Spode, Kao-ling, kaolin, Lefton porcelain, porcelain, quartz, semi vitreous porcelain, soft paste porcelain, Spode porcelain, standing rim, Thomas Frye, types of ceramic, unglazed porcelain, vintage porcelain, vitreous porcelain | 3 Comments

When it comes to antiques, put the scissors down.

Posted on May 16, 2013 by sarathurston

And keep the polish and glue on the shelf. An antique dealer friend recently told me a sad tale. Her friend, another dealer, purchased two framed original hummingbird prints by John Gould. This 19th Century English ornithologist was a contemporary … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Art, Coins and Currency, Collectibles, Ephemera, Etsy, First Edition Books, Porcelain, Pottery, Vintage and Antique Furniture, Vintage Toys | Tagged antique doll, antique handbag, antique purse, artist signature, Audobon, bird art, C. Rogers silver, cleaning antiques, composition doll, John Gould, John James Audubon, repairing antiques, restoring antiques, silver polish, sterling silver, value of unsigned art, vintage bird paintings, vintage doll, vintage silverware | 3 Comments

Who Invented the Term “Satsuma Moriage,” Anyway?

Posted on May 13, 2013 by sarathurston

These lamps caused me way more agita than they’re worth. When I opened my Etsy shop, I had to research many of the items from the Janvier Road bungalow to see what they were, and whether they were Etsy material, … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Collectibles, Etsy, Imari, Porcelain, Pottery | Tagged 16th century Japanese pottery, 16th Century Satsuma, crackle glaze, Dragonware, Imari, immortals, Japanese immortals, Japanese porcelain, Japanese pottery, Korean pottery, Made in Japan, moriage, moriage lamp, raised enamel dots, rickshaw figural, satsuma, satsuma lamp, small figural lamp, vintage figural lamp, vintage moriage | 2 Comments

The incomparable beauty of Hull Pottery

Posted on May 6, 2013 by sarathurston

There are many people (too many in my opinion) who pay little or no attention to vintage or antique things. Either they aren’t curious, or simply don’t care that something was handed down by Grandmom from her own mother. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Collectibles, Etsy, Pottery, Real or Fake? | Tagged Florist vases, Hull figurine, Hull marks, Hull Pottery, Hull teapot, Hull vase, Imperial Pottery, knick knack Hull, Little Red Riding Hood, Ohio pottery companies, old ceramic planter, old florist vases, Old Spice mug, Old Spice shaving mug, pink floral teapot, pink floral vase, Regal Pottery, Royal China and Novelty Company, Shulton, vintage florist vases | 3 Comments

Want “Made in America” Quality? Buy Vintage!

Posted on May 2, 2013 by sarathurston

Americans constantly bemoan the fact that we can’t find quality American-made products anymore. “Everything’s made in China!” we complain. “It just isn’t the same as it used to be.” Thank goodness for vintage items and antiques! Those of us who … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Collectibles, Porcelain, Pottery, Vintage clothing, Vintage Jewelry, Why Are Antiques Important? | Tagged 1970s style, American made, American made clothing, American products, American quality, Baby Beaver shoes, BoHo style, buy American, Buy U.S.A., Edwin Knowles, Farber Brothers, hippie style, Krome Kraft, made in America, Made in the U.S.A., Made in the USA, multicolored wine glasses, Retro style, Retro wine glasses, union label, vintage baby clothes, vintage clothing | 6 Comments

Blue Willow and the Star-Crossed Lovers

Posted on April 12, 2013 by sarathurston

Just about everyone has a piece of Blue Willow china, whose deep cobalt color may have evolved from early Imari designs (blue survived the kilns better than other colors). Many people also know the famous Chinese legend of the pattern: … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiques, Porcelain, Pottery, Transferware | Tagged antique Blue Willow, Blue Willow, Blue Willow books, Blue Willow Collectors, Blue Willow England, Blue Willow Japan, Blue Willow legend, Blue Willow Marks, colors of Blue Willow, fake Blue Willow, film props, Flo Blue, Flow Blue, how to date Blue Willow, Johnson & Brothers china, Johnson Brothers, kitchen props, Minton china, movie props, Paden City Pottery, reproduction Blue Willow, San Simeon, theatre props, Thomas Minton, value of Blue Willow, video props, vintage Blue Willow, Western movie, William Randolph Hearst | 4 Comments