This gallery will serve as a photo and information repository for unidentified California Pottery as well as unmarked pottery that is suspected of being California pottery because of the glaze, color or shape.

You might wonder why there are still pottery pieces that are unidentifiable. There are many reasons, but here are three that often lead to “enjoyable” little mysteries to solve:

1. Pottery was only marked as “Calif USA” (or some variant) without other ID.
2. Pottery had a paper or foil label which was the only means of identification, which has since been removed or has worn off.
3. Pottery was never marked at all.

Number 3 is more common than you might think, especially with older pieces or items produced by hand. In that case, it’s often only shape that is the identifying factor. Number 1 is VERY common and sometimes goes along with Number 2.

We will give each unidentified piece a unique ID number so it can be referred to (A = personal piece of mine, B = reader’s piece). Hopefully, this page will not grow to unmanageable size; we hope some pieces and marks will be conclusively identified eventually. If you would like to submit some photos of mystery unknown pieces to go up on this page, please use the Flickr group first - it’s easier than emailing the photos. (PLEASE try and take a good photo in decent resolution - if it’s blurry we’re not going to put it up.)

Click on the photos below for larger image and more information.

Unknowns (Personal)

#A013: Green Fluted Vase with White Drip Glaze - The ubiquitous verde or avocado green vase with drip or spatter glaze, likely from California. Many have drip glazes with blue, yellow or white. I’ve no idea where this one might be, or if it’s even from California.

#A012: Blue Leaf Dish With Metallic Trim - This is a beautiful blue leaf pottery dish that is accented with a copper colored spattering along the rim. The features are very sharp and well-defined, including the leaf veins on the bottom of the dish. Measures about 12 inches long and 5-6 inches at its widest.

#A011: IDENTIFIED: Matte White Pottery Duck Figurine - I now believe this little duck figure may be a Haeger figurine instead of a California Pottery. Not 100% sure but I’ve seen 2 of them so far and the sellers called them Haeger. The glaze is a very smooth matte white and this look was common with a number of different Calif. Pottery animals being produced in the 1930s-1950s. It measures about 5 inches tall and 4 inches long.

#A010: Crackle Glaze Trinket Box with Lid, No Markings - This is a small 4 inch by 3.5 inch rectangular trinket box that has wonderful blue gold and brown markings along with a crackle glaze on the white part of the box. The lid has a square handle top and the inside is plain white with the same crackle.

#A009: Rough Blue Glaze Small Bowl, “Brooks, Laguna” - Originally picked up this bowl thinking the Laguna referred to Brayton Laguna. I think I should have known better, I don’t believe this heavy type of rough pottery was made by them. The beautiful blue green glaze is really interesting though. It may just be someone’s project, but it’s really nice anyhow.

#A008: Green Sq. Wall Pocket, Calif Cope Craft - This one is clearly marked with the maker, and we have seen another item with the same mark. However, so little info is known about the company that I’m including it here as well. More photos available on the gallery we created for Calif. Cope Craft.

#A007: Orange “Deco” Salt/Pepper Shaker, No Mark - A small unusually shaped orange glaze pottery shaker, unmarked on bottom. Have done research on this one but haven’t able to find out who made it. I saw a similar set of shakers in pink on Ebay, the seller thought they were perhaps Bauer. Some other companies I thought it might be are Pacific, Catalina or Gladding. Perhaps it is new, I just would like to know.

#A006: Forman’s of California Yellow Low Planter - Picked up this interesting yellow speckle glaze low planter at the swap meet because of the backstamp which does say Forman’s of California. However, I’m listing it here in the unknowns because I’m not entirely certain this is not new - online searches have turned up an existing garden and pottery shop called Forman’s. This looks a bit like a tart pan actually.

#A005: IDENTIFIED: Shawnee Bud Vase Pitcher in Maroon, USA #1168 - Originally, I thought this was perhaps California pottery - we’ve since identified this as actually Shawnee, but we’ll leave it up here in case others have problems with identification. Again, this is NOT California Pottery.

#A004: Purple, Blue Pink “Pillowvase”, Ken’s California - A rectangular shaped vase (pillovase?) with a strange tint of purple blue and pink. Originally, I had thought perhaps this was someone’s project. However, I’ve seen at least one other auction that had this same shape and they seemed to think the stamp said Ken’s of California. I’ve since found another one in green / yellow glaze

#A003: IDENTIFIED: Blue Drip glaze Caleramics planter, #704 1977 - An interesting blue and white drip glaze cylindrical pot or planter from 1977. In addition to the glaze it has three lines running top to bottom on 4 sides. Now believe the mark on bottom to be “Caleramics”, although haven’t found much information on that company. Possible a re-distributor or secondary company in the 70s-80s.

#A002: Brown and white kidney shaped planter, CALIF U.S.A. T-23 - A kidney shaped brownish white piece of pottery with a raised bottom footer - perhaps a planter. Glaze sort of reminds me of Hull or Judy of California

#A001: Yellow and white round drip glaze vase, CALIF. U.S.A. C-5 - Yellow and White drip glaze planter piece with large ridges. Planter is footed and measures about 6 inches in diameter and 4.5 inches tall. I’ve since seen a planter with the same shape with a plain white glaze.

Unknowns (Other People’s)