Art Pottery Wall Pockets

We are a part of eBay Affiliate Network, and if you make a purchase through the links on our site we earn affiliate commission.
The predecessors to wall pockets, those flat-backed ceramic vases intended to be hung on a wall, were wall-mounted wooden boxes that held candles, matches, or eating utensils, as well as cloth pockets designed to hold sewing tools such as
Continue reading
The predecessors to wall pockets, those flat-backed ceramic vases intended to be hung on a wall, were wall-mounted wooden boxes that held candles, matches, or eating utensils, as well as cloth pockets designed to hold sewing tools such as scissors, thimbles, or thread. Decorative wall pockets, or “wall vases,” first became home fixtures in the late 18th century, when porcelain potteries were popping up all over Europe. Staffordshire, Minton, Wedgwood, Royal Worcester, Royal Doulton, and Meissen all produced elegant wall pockets made out of fine china. More recently, wall pockets meant for flowers experienced a revival in postwar America, when the demand for fun, novelty ceramics like head vases, cookie jars, and salt-and-pepper shakers exploded. Some of these ceramic pieces, which hit their peak of popularity with homemakers in the '50s, were made in home-grown U.S. potteries, like those by Rookwood, Roseville, Weller, McCoy, Hull, the California Cleminsons, Frankoma, and Holt-Howard. Others were produced in occupied Japan and imported by Lefton, Napco, and PY. While clay is the most popular material for collectible wall pockets, they’ve also been made out of wood, glass, cloth, plastic, and metals such as copper or tin. Intended to hold everything from living plants to cut, dried, or fake flowers, along with house keys and even sink scrubbers, wall pockets can be anywhere from a few inches to a foot tall. While untold thousands of ceramic wall pockets were made between the '40s and '60s, their tendency to drop from walls and crack or break has made them scarce today. Vintage and antique wall pockets come in every shape imaginable: You can find full figures or busts of realistic men, women, and children, as well as fantasy characters like mermaids, cherubs, and angels. There is also a wide range of animal characters like cats, dogs, sea horses, fish, birds, butterflies, roosters, and owls. Wall pockets are sometimes shaped like fruits and nuts, while...
Continue reading

Best of the Web

The Pottery Studio
This 7,000-plus page site lives up to its self-billing as a 'knowledge base' with examples of...
Cowan Pottery Museum Associates
Dedicated to raising awareness of the ceramic art work of R. Guy Cowan and his Cowan Pottery...
Gouda Design
Stuart Lonsdale and Kim Lindley's excellent tribute to and reference on Gouda Dutch Art Pottery...
Most Watched

Best of the Web

The Pottery Studio
This 7,000-plus page site lives up to its self-billing as a 'knowledge base' with examples of...
Cowan Pottery Museum Associates
Dedicated to raising awareness of the ceramic art work of R. Guy Cowan and his Cowan Pottery...
Gouda Design
Stuart Lonsdale and Kim Lindley's excellent tribute to and reference on Gouda Dutch Art Pottery...