1930s Ozark Roadside Pottery Bird Bath

Details

Description

A rare Ozark Tourist or Roadside Pottery (sometimes called Mission Craft Pottery) bird bath. Very hard to find and great … Read more A rare Ozark Tourist or Roadside Pottery (sometimes called Mission Craft Pottery) bird bath. Very hard to find and great for a collector. Circa 1930s. This piece is white blue and orange brown.

13" wide
17 1/2" tall
9 1/2" wide base

“Ozark pottery” refers to several mid-century American pottery makers that artificially colored clay then turned pieces with marbleized swirls on the potter's wheel. Some makers include Ozark, Niloak, Camark, and Ouachita.
Originally attributed to house plasterer Harold Horine who, in 1935, invented a process to create concrete vessels without an exterior mold. He decorated the forms in drippy swirls of bright colours and called them Como-Craft, after nearby Lake Taneycomo. Horine sold the vibrant pots from a roadside stand, much to the delight of tourists passing through the area. Because of its success, Horine decided to export the production process to artists in other regions. For a reported $500, a person could get instruction from Harold Horine himself, and set up their own version of his workshop with an exclusive license to make and sell the pottery within a defined area. Today, Como-Craft style pieces pop up all around the United States, from Missouri to Arizona to Oregon, thanks to the regional makers Horine trained and licensed. See less