22nd Anniversary Celebration and Sale
Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
About Saturday
Saturday we will celebrate our twenty-second year in business with sales throughout the Mall! In fact, many dealers have priced their items down twenty-two percent. Come out between 10:00 and 5:30 to take advantage of this special event, including tasty things to eat throughout the day, as well as, Van Briggle pottery and other antique door prizes!
In addition to the sales happening throughout the day, we will also be hosting a Van Briggle book signing with author Kathy Honea who wrote the book Van Briggle Notes. Come learn all about Van Briggle pottery. Bring your personal pieces for identification. Older rare Van Briggle pieces will be on display and there will be additional pieces for sale.
About Kathy Honea and Van Briggle Pottery
"The signature dead matte glaze which Artus Van Briggle spent his life recreating from the lost Ming Dynasty Glaze made a very early impression on me. My sister and I retain the two Van Briggle pieces our family purchased at the pottery in 1955, when I was 4 years old. As early as I can recall, I was interested in the pottery. The glaze appears as soft as velvet, but is as hard as stone.
"Throughout the years I had revisited Van Briggle many times, and my daughter, Anna, had also become a collector. When Bob and I married in 2000, I suggested we honeymoon in Colorado Springs. Bob soon learned to appreciate Van Briggle pottery and its history. We started collecting anything and everything we could find. Later, we narrowed our focus to older, dated pieces; as well as new, limited edition pieces.
"We began vacationing in places of Van Briggle significance. We visited the birthplace of Artus Van Briggle in Felicity, Ohio. We visited Cincinnati, where he first worked painting doll faces, then worked for a short-lived Avon Pottery, and finally Rookwood Pottery. We also went to places where his work had been exhibited, such as the sites of the World Fairs of 1893 and 1933 (Chicago) and 1904 (St. Louis). We were fortunate to attend the 100th anniversary of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, and viewed many pictures of the original displays.
"Throughout our journeys, Bob and I met many people whose lives had made an impact on the Van Briggle pottery, and whose stories remained untold. We wanted to document those before they might be forgotten. We also found paintings and other works by Artus that had not previously been recorded. Previous Van Briggle authors and collectors encouraged us to write a book.
"The first Van Briggle kiln of approximately 300 pieces was exhibited and sold in December 1901. Artus combined his artistic talents with his newly-acquired pottery skills and glaze formulations into designs within the sculpting of the clay, instead of prior potteries' use of painted designs on the surface of the clay.
"Early, dated Van Briggle pieces have steadily increased in value. Most people are familiar with Van Briggle in either the Ming Turquoise or Persian Rose glazes. It is important to note that in the first years, Artus produced an entire spectrum of colors: yellows, pinks, greens, blues, grays, purple, black, white, orange, etc. Knowing that his life was short, he was driven to produce and design. We will never know what might have become of Van Briggle's pottery had his life not been cut so tragically short.
"Bob and I rented the marital home of Artus and Anne for a week in 2010, and invited fellow collectors to enjoy the home where the couple had spent the happiest years of their lives.
"Van Briggle Pottery is among the oldest American art potteries which have remained in continuous production until today."