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Vintage Ohio Pottery: What Makes Shawnee So Special?

A dsiplay of vintage Shawnee Pottery ceramic vases and a teapot in pastel pink, blue and yellows with a colorful pastel painting in the background.

As you may already know, vintage Ohio pottery is my OBSESSION! And, I am completely in AWE by the number of Ohio pottery companies that existed back in the day! It’s pretty impressive that so many of the ceramic manufacturers were located in or near Zanesville, Ohio.  In fact, Zanesville was the largest pottery-producing area in the whole United States. Some of the BIG names in pottery were McCoy, Roseville, Hull, Weller, RRP, and Shawnee.  So this week I wanted to take a moment and show you what makes Shawnee so special!

Shawnee Pottery is pretty SPECIAL indeed! I have been collecting it for years and I absolutely LOVE it! They originally sprouted out of a company called American Encaustic Tiling Company in 1937. They manufactured decorative and utilitarian ceramics through 1961. One fun fact is that they were named after a regional Native American tribe… the Shawnee.

more fun facts about Shawnee Pottery

  • Their products were sold in “five and dime” stores nationally (i.e., Woolworth, Kresge).
  • They produced lines of dinnerware exclusively for Sears.
  • One notable product was the Corn King line, which resembled an ear of corn.  These initially were giveaways from the Procter & Gamble Company.
  • They sold a wide variety of items including figurines, cookie jars, teapots, vases, and planters.
  • Shawnee items were sold with paper labels which were lost over time, but the products were often stamped “USA”.  However, some items, like my lady head vase, are actually embossed with “Shawnee USA”.

Why I LOVE it

Glazes and hand-painted details

I LOVE the soft pastel-colored glazes… the pinks, yellows, and blues. But I especially like the hand-painted details like in these flowers on this mid-century teapot… FABULOUS!

uniqueness

Shawnee Pottery had artisans with really amazing skills! My favorite piece has got to be this Polynesian lady head. She is so unique and beautiful and very collectible!

Classic design and durability

This early mid-century teapot is in wonderful condition with no cracks or chips, but the best part is the classic design. It’s simple yet elegant!

A beautiful vintage ceramic teapot in a light green mint glaze made by the Shawnee Pottery Company.

The search for Shawnee

There is a lot to love about Shawnee Pottery! But I’ll have to be honest… it can be a little tricky to locate Shawnee Pottery due to the fact that most pieces are not clearly marked on the bottom. But, with the help of Google image search and pottery guidebooks, it’s a lot easier these days. I even found some pieces at my favorite antique shop this week. Thankfully, there is still plenty of it out there! So, let’s celebrate Zanesville pottery! Let’s search for Shawnee Pottery! And most of all, let’s get HOMEY!

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