Watt Apple Pottery Pitcher & Bowls

Watt Pottery is a great Kitchen Collectible, there are many patterns and styles of crockery. This is a favorite of mine, Apple pattern, some of the items were given as advertising pieces, they are rarer and cost a bit more. There are also new items, they have a pinkish glow to them and are almost identical otherwise.

The History of Watt Pottery, by Dennis M.Thompson

The Watt Pottery was owned and operted by the Watt family of Perry County, Ohio. In July, 1922 the Watt Pottery was incorporated on the site of the old Burley Pottery in Crooksville, Ohio. It remained in business until a fire halted production in 1965.

Through the 1920s and early 1930s the Watt Pottery manufactured stoneware crocks, butter churns, preserve jars, and jugs. These are marked with an eagle or acorn stamped in blue, with the gallonage marked in a circle.

In 1935, the Watt pottery dropped its stoneware line in favor of more modern oven wares. The lightweight clay body gave the wares the necessary resilience to go from ice box to oven. These earliest oven wares are not well identified.

By the late 1940s, the Watt Pottery concentrated on the kitchen-ware glazed in solid colors. The patterns are called: Moon & Stars, Arcs, Loops, Diamond and Grooves. All are descriptive names coined by collectors. Although not all pieces are marked, the bottom mark associated with 1940s Watt ware is an impressed: "MADE IN U.S.A." . Pieces may also be marked: "Oven Ware" or simply have the bowl size impressed.

In 1949, the Watt Pottery began hand decorating its wares. The patterns are simple in nature, with as few brush strokes as possible to allow low production costs. The pieces were decorated by teams of three decorators. The bright colors against the deep cream clay give Watt Pottery its unique country appeal.

The first hand decorated patterns are called the "Classic Patterns" and were produced from 1949 until about 1953. They are: Rio Rose, Moonflower, Dogwood, White Daisy, and Cross-Hatch.

The hand decorated patterns most sort after by today's collectors and their introduction dates are as follows: Starflower - 1951, Apple - 1952, Cherry - 1952, Silhouette - 1953, Rooster - 1955, Dutch Tulip - 1956, American Red Bud (Tear Drop) - 1957, Morning Glory - 1958, Autumn Foliage - 1959, Double Apple - 1959, and Tulip - 1961.

Most pieces of Watt ware are well marked. The marks are large, often covering the entire bottom of the piece. They usually consist of one or more concentric rings deeply impressed into the bottom. The words, "Watt" and "Oven Ware U.S.A." are impressed as well, although some pieces have only one phrase, not both. Classic Patterns often feature a script "Watt" with no circles. Most pieces also have the mold number impressed in the center, making identification easy. The most significant pieces which were not marked are the ice bucket (all patterns), and the Apple dinner plates.