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SHAWNEE TALES by Linda Romberg

Archives - Spring 2004

Wish I could say it feels like summer is over, but not in Arizona - we are having 109 degrees every day with no end in sight. Not the usual dry heat either as have storm clouds building every evening.

For some of you this is a big time for flea markets across the country - Labor Day weekend. One event I have always wanted to attend is the Labor Day flea market in Hillsville, Va - but it is such a long trip for me. I recall years ago when Ron Brown and Jim Mangus went - it was described as the early days of Zanesville's Pottery Festival with people set up in fields and along the roadside and wonderful antiques everywhere! With my bedding and furniture business being near Arizona State University this time of year is always hectic with students getting ready for the next semester - hoping this is my final year as planning to retire completely next month if all works out well. I think Orinoco is coming up next weekend in Minnesota too but not sure as no one keeping

me updated on these markets. Maybe some of you will report on a local market for next newsletter.

Summer on Ebay has certainly turned up some bargains - gold Bo Peeps at barely over a hundred dollars, some great buys on lobster pieces including a cookie jar for under $50 if I recall correctly. By the way, I have a collector friend who is seeking a pair of the round brown base lobster shakers - if anyone has a set they would like to sell or knows of a set for sale, could you

contact me?

Had an interesting inquiry from a non member who recently sold a Pekingese figurine on Ebay for the low amount of $30 - seems the buyer has been giving her a hard time about it's authenticity - I will include a picture of the auction piece. There is an original label on the piece making it even more desirable! Mind you the seller offered her money back but the buyer did not want to return the piece just informed the seller it is a fake and I will insert a couple of quotes. I know of NO reproductions of these figurines - has anyone else seen or heard of any allegedly fake ones???? Sometimes a picture doesn't show every detail but the piece certainly looks authentic to me. I told the seller I would mention this and see if anyone in the group had heard of these figurines being copied and distributed. Cecil Rapp with the new Shawnee Pottery has produced a line of banks of these figurine styles but not with the intent to confuse collectors as being old Shawnee.

The buyer quoted to the seller

This is the last contact that I will have on this matter.

> After, almost 27 years of working with the Federal Government in customer

> contact situations and with the U.S. Attorneys Offices in three states I

> have found that those who continue to protest probably are trying to

> obscure something. This may not be true of you but I think that you

> protest too much.

> In the current issue of Antiques and Collecting magazine (August 2005) the

> column "Rinker on Collectibles" by Harry Rinker, puts forth the "Ten

> Common Sense Rules to Determine if an Object is Period, Reproduction, Copy

> Cat, Fantasy or Fake." "Rule Two: If a piece looks new it probably

> is...they should show signs of aging and wear. Aging is the result of

> oxidation (chemicals in the air) and patination (dirt in the air)." Wear

> is from handling and is common on aged pieces that are well loved and

> handled.

> The information that you sent from the Shawnee newsletter offered to

> identify it from a picture which is the same as looking at any of my

> several books. No expert would do that. Then that contact went on the say

> that Ebay users were novices and know little about what they buy which is

> essentially correct, but did not go on to say that about 60% of what is

> identified as Shawnee is not even close. Most are in fact American

> Bisque, Hull and sometimes Royal Copley."

This goes to show what we have to deal with on Ebay - I think all of us as Shawnee collectors can agree to disagree with Rinker in that MANY pieces of Shawnee do in fact appear like new due the quality of the pottery and the way is does sustain it's appearance over some fifty to sixty years.

Another request from a reader is to feature some of the styles of Smileys with Hair which I will do next month and the following month I would like to show some examples of bugs, bees, butterflies and other unusual decoration. I would love some pictures for display...............................

Until next month, happy collecting..................

Lin linromb@aol.com

Above is the one I keep, mighty similar, huh. Doug

I recently was asked if Shawnee made these dog planters. I've seen plenty of them, but never thought they were Shawnee, so never picked one up. I've been though a number of pottery books, no matches. I eventually found this picture.

From - American Bisque Collector's Guide

by Mary Jane Giacomini

This is a picture of the dogs above ----- says American Bisque to me.

If you have one of these with a different bottom, please send a picture. For longtime Shawnee collectors this may be the same question as the "sitting pony". Personally I've never seen a dryfoot sitting pony. Send the Pictures - to shawneeone@comcast.net

Here is a cute little Pekingese dog by American pottery company Shawnee. It measures 2 1/2 inches high by 2 3/4 inches long. It is in excellent condition, with no damage or repairs that I can find. There is one glaze flaw on the right ear (see photo) where the purple glaze had a bubble which popped during firing leaving a small spot of missing glaze. This is not a chip - the edges of the bubble area are smooth.

Winning bid: US $20.49 2 bids (US $19.99 starting bid)

Ended: Aug-11-05 18:28:43 PDT Start time: Aug-04-05 18:28:43 PDT

Shawnee Pottery Pekingese Item number: 7174303676