California Potter mid century design collectable pottery

This California Pottery

Vintage California pottery’s appeal stems not just from the vivid colors and dramatic designs found in this collection of decorative wares but also in its history. The genre has become a specialty in the collector’s world, especially mid-century style serving pieces. In an era when entertaining was an art form – think Mad Men style cocktail parties – what you served and how it was presented was very important.

A Bit of History

The popular ceramic material was introduced to the California area by the early Spanish settlers. It was used in everything from architectural tile-work to serving ware to decorative figurines. When the Arts & Crafts movement came along, it pushed the genre to the forefront. The main philosophy of the movement was to elevate the decorative arts to the level of fine art, and to make them personal and accessible.

Each collector has their own idea of what makes a piece collectible. The value can come from the actual monetary appraisal or even just the feeling or memory that a piece can bring. Here are some of our favorite examples of this popular art form…

3 Compartment Serving Dish

3 compartment serving dish with radiant orange and green lacquer finish.

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Two-Tier Mid Century Serving Dish

Special Markings

This two-tier serving dish is beautifully adorned with orange and yellow swirled into a black background and has the original Berkeley sticker with marks on the bottom signifying the finish and location. Often you will find the location and a number stamped on the bottom of these pieces. Each company had different rules for the markings but generally they included the country of origin or state and often, the numbers indicated a code for the type of finish.