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by Linda Romberg
May 2008
SHAWNEE TALES
Things here are so busy with closing my furniture/mattress manufacturing
business which has been family owned and operated for fifty years here in
Arizona, the end of this month I am officially retired! I decided to pull an old
newsletter regarding the clover bud versus apple decoration as we still get so
many questions as to how to differentiate.
Shawnee Tales October 2003
One of our readers asked a very good question about how to identify the
apple jars from the Clover bud, in particular the Winnie. Ed and I thought it
might be good to address it in the newsletter.
The difference in the clover bud and the apple is strictly on the bases,
not the lids - all the lids have the clover bud with deep red bud - BUT the
bottom button flower is a paler pink AND the green leaves are very different -
almost a jeweled green coloring unlike the regular green leaves on the
top/collar. Almost always in Winnie it is a gold jar however years ago I found one that is plain and have not heard of another however where there is one, there is bound to be another. Mine was purchased as a clover bud so
imagine my surprise when I unpacked it and discovered the jeweled green
decoration around the bud.
Also pictured is a very RARE jar - it is the apple decoration over the raised clover bud mold - very few of these are known to exist - possibly an experiment or variation that Shawnee chose not to continue in production.
Another inquiry regarding the apple vs clover bud Smiley regarding a listing on Ebay described as clover but with apple decoration:
The gold "clover" that just sold on Ebay was an apple Smiley raised bud mold
in gold. Very rare but not as rare as the clover bud (I have since changed my mind - I think the rarest of the jars is the Smiley with apple paint over the raised
clover bud mold trimmed in gold) - the clover bud should have the green
suspenders, HOWEVER, the gold clover bud Smiley that a collector paid $6800 for last year had a married lid with brown suspenders from the Ermagene Westfall collection estate sale. My understanding per a discussion years ago with Mrs. Westfall is the original lid was damaged and a regular gold Smiley red bib "married" to the jar hence the suspenders are brown on the lid it was
purchased with. None the less, the base is spectacular and often a clover bud jar will be found with brown suspenders - whether it left the factory that way or was switched at the five and dime store because a buyer preferred one lid over another, who knows?
The picture on Ebay wasn't clear to a lot of buyers that it had the jadecolored leaves. I am hoping to receive a picture of the gold clover bud jar to insert here for readers - if the collector prefers not to share it, the jar is featured in the second book by Ermagene Westfall. The clover buds are surrounded with gold same as on the Winnie - it is the only gold clover bud Smiley I know of - EXTREMELY RARE. Where there is one, there are more obviously but we haven't heard of another surfacing in our collector circles in all these years! NOTE, since publishing this originally I have heard of at least six other gold clover bud Smileys but have yet to see one in person and still consider it an extremely rare jar.
While not nearly as complete as later cookie jar books, it is fun to look through the Westfall books because as an early collector she didn't necessarily have a lot of jars, yet she managed to have some very unusual pieces and ironically in Shawnee ,hard to find gold trim ones - amazingly the gold clover bud, the gold trim Jo Jo clown and the gold blue Winnie she displays is a blueberry, long before we even were aware of the variation in Shawnee circles. The blueberry is aptly named by collectors because it is a shamrock lid with three clover buds on it but decorated with blue collar. Speculation is that since the Winnie heads are not as interchangeable as Smileys, they decorated what should have been green bib lids in blue to fit blue trim bases.
Ebay continues to be a buyer's market for the most part.
Doug received an intriguing email about six weeks ago about an owl cookie
jar - such fun to hear someone share the history of a jar they are attached to - this one we enjoyed
"To Whom It May Concern,
Many years ago (late 1940's-early-1950's) at a summer resort area of New
York State, Olcott NY, my mother won a Owl Cookie Jar at a Bingo game. As
youngsters my sister and I decided to paint the owl's feathers with red nail
polish much to our Mom's dismay. MANY years went by (I am now 63) and by chance I noticed the cookie jar at a Buffalo NY antique shop 5 years ago. The
dealer said that it was a Shawnee ceramic jar and that the price was $45.00. I
looked at the dealer and offered $25.00, but it was turned down as $45.00 was
firm. Thinking about the wonderful memories and deep love for Mom, I told the
dealer that the memories of it were better kept in my heart than having the jar Mom made as a donation for a White Elephant Sale at her Church decades earlier!!!
It was less than a year later my husband, sister and I were visiting the
Shawnee Antique Barn on Shawnee Road near North Tonawanda, New York. It was a late winter Sunday and we were just out for a ride and to scout out the Barn we
had never visited. Low and behold high on a glass shelf was an owl cookie
jar. I asked the dealer if I could examine it, and to our surprise it was the
same jar. The way I know that is that he had purchased it at the same antique store that I found it at the first time. The antique shop in Buffalo had gone out of business. The dealer was quite taken back as tears fell upon our cheeks. At the time we were very moved by just finding it because Mom had JUST passed away four months earlier. Not to sound corny, it was like she wanted me to have the jar in my life one more time. Needless to say the price had gone up, yes from $45 to $75! Long story short he dropped the price to $55.00 ($59.41 with tax.) Yes, this time I purchased the cookie jar, it was not going to be lost again, twice was enough and for it to come back into my life, and just a warm reminder of Mom.
Do you have any information about Owl Cookie Jars that are supposedly
Shawnee Ceramics? Attached is a photo of the jar. I would appreciate any info
you have, and let me apologize for such a long email about a special time in my life.
Best regards,"
The twist - here is Doug's reply
"Thanks for sharing this slice of your life. I loved it. this
is what Lin looks for to put in the newsletter. I sure hope you'll let
her use it. It did have an ending I didn't expect though. the owl wasn't
made by Shawnee. I thought I was going to look in my cookie jar book and tell
you it was made by American Bisque Co. - wrong , it is not in my book. Lin
is the cookie jar expert, maybe she can tell us something. I'll get back with
you as soon as I hear from her.
Thanks, Doug
The funny thing is neither Doug nor I have been able to find this jar in any
of the books or identify it for certain yet have seen it numerous times over
the years - do any of you have knowledge of it?????
We love to hear from collectors and are always willing to help identify fakes or assist with questions, so feel free to contact us anytime.
Doug's Corner
Saw this Snowflake teapot that I found interesting. It appears original, but I can't say for sure.
Saw this on Ebay -
"Authentic antique reproduction of The Shawnee Puss N boots creamer, this beautiful and well detailed creamer is marked Puss In Boots USA on the bottom, and is in pink. Measures approx. 4 1/2" high it is in original condition with no chips cracks or repairs. Offered at wholesale Price!" 4pottery4 (1)
Does this make you want to run out and buy one? It sold for six bucks + post.
