4 comments about Head Vases: Identification and Values (Head Vases).

1. Although this headvase book is not as comprehensive as some of its peers, the collection is vast, displaying a wide variety of headvases, particularly some rare finds which you would not see elsewhere. Excellent companion to the Barron collection !



2. Great book..Swift and smooth transaction and packed well.



3. There is no other way to find out about head vases except to refer to Kathleen Cole's book. This outstanding book is a MUST for collectors, (buyers and sellers) of head vases. It clearly presents information and pictures about unique and collectible head vases. As a buyer of head vases, I would not be without my Kathleen Cole book. Highly recommended source of valuable information!



4. I own this book and with having over 500 headvases it sure is handy! Strictly a pictorial book and a handy check-off list to see which head vases you're missing and need to acquire. With price guide in back you are able to judge what the piece is worth or what you are willing to pay. :) Enjoy!

2 comments about Warman's Hull Pottery: Identification And Value Guide (Warman's Hull Pottery: Identification & Value Guide).

1. I just love Hull pottery so I was excited to receive my book. I couldn't wait to look up some pieces I had when it came. I received the book in a few days as promised. Excellent service!!!



2. Great addition to my resource library for Hull Pottery. Must have if you are thinking about collection Hull Pottery and a must have if you will be sell Hull Pottery.

5 comments about George Ohr, Art Potter: The Apostle of Individuality.

1. A must have for any person that appreciated the work of George Ohr.
   Thank you Robert A. Ellison Jr. for this amazing book. If you can't see
   the actual work this book is the next best thing.



2. The book is beautiful and the photos are superb, but I was somehow led to believe I'd find photos of early utilitarian pottery in this book and I did not. I will use the book. It does enhance my knowledge of George Ohr and his work, but I wanted to see the really old pieces from his work with his mentors and beyond.



3. If you like pottery and George Ohr this is an outstanding book. Amazing photo quality of some of George's coolest work..He was truly one of the worlds best at what he did..This has become one of our favorites, and we found it for less money on AMAZON.COM!!! Thanks,TESSRS



4. Ohr does break the mold when it comes to art pottery. Whereas other potters, no matter how innovative or imaginative they are, stay within certain classic forms for vases, bowls, goblets, etc., Ohr often departs radically from the forms. His art pottery is perhaps best considered as free-form sculpture inspired by, but not made according to, traditional pottery. Thus, a "pot" has "elaborate configuration: sharp bends, angles, blades, swirls, and quasi-cylinders [making for] complexity from every angle." Another "pot" has "crinkling result[ing] in dramatically deep three-dimensional spaces...[which] radiate highlights that contrast with the dark-brown glaze...[giving] this piece...a brooding, enigmatic presence." The foregoing quotes are from captions of two of the color photographs of individual pieces of Ohr's pottery on nearly every page. The work is a tour through Ohr's artistic career from "The Early Years" to "A Final Phase" noting and illustrating phases of development and points of his individuality. With their colors and polymorphous, though mostly rounded, shapes, Ohr's pottery/sculpture has a deep earthiness, as if plucked whole from the ground's depths, though they patently demonstrate a clear, singular vision and matching consummate skill.



5. 
   "Geo E Ohr has challenged any potter on earth! `You' Prove the Contrary!" These are the words painted by George Ohr on a sign at the 1895 Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition.
   
   He did more than challenge fellow artists, he set a standard for them by digging his own clay, shaping his own pots, firing his own kiln, and creating forms that were unlike the currently popular shapes. In fact, his shapes were so outre at the time that he was called "The Mad Potter of Biloxi." As the world now knows he was prescient.
   
   The words that he painted in 1895 followed the total destruction of his studio and some 10,000 pieces by fire, plus a devastating hurricane that hit the Mississippi coast prior to that. Obviously, he was a resilient and determined individual. Today, in the wake of Katrina, the Ohr O'Keefe Museum in Biloxi is being rebuilt. If he were still living Ohr would have it no other way.
   
   Married and the father of ten children, he sold most of his works at expositions and fairs. He received only a modicum of artistic appreciation during his lifetime, although he was presented with the Silver Medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. It was not until the 1960s that a New Jersey antique dealer, Jim Carpenter, came to Biloxi and saw Ohr's works now housed in an auto repair shop. Carpenter eventually bought nearly 7000 pots and introduced Ohr to art aficionados in New York City. The potter's stature as an extraordinary artist has continued to grow.
   
   Robert Ellison became an admirer of Ohr's and now owns some 370 pieces. His creation of this beautiful volume is a gift to all. With 192 color illustrations illuminated by scholarship George Ohr, Art Potter, is both a tribute to the artist and an outstanding reference for his work.
   
   - Gail Cooke

2 comments about Art and Reform: Sara Galner, the Saturday Evening Girls, and the Paul Revere Pottery.

1. This is a superb book! A great read and a wonderful story combining art and social history! Boston Museum of Fine Arts curator and catalog author Nonie Gadsden has done an excellent job documenting the story of Sara Galner and the activities of this early 20th Century social program involving Jewish and Italian immigrant women. One extremely positive article/review very striking to me about the catalog/book is entitled "Pottery Against Poverty"- which helps explain the mission of Boston society benefactor Helen Storrow in supporting the library club the Saturday Evening Girls and then helping create from that the Paul Revere Pottery.



2. ART & REFORM: SARA GALNER, THE SATURDAY EVENING GIRLS, AND THE PAUL REVERE POTTERY charts arts and crafts and pottery movements alike, surveying museum holdings in both black and white and color and supplementing identifying descriptions with an introduction explaining the work celebrates a fine gift made by Dr. David Bloom and friends of over a hundred ceramics from the Paul Revere Pottery of the Saturday Evening Girls Club of Boston. This volume offers not only a catalog, but a rare opportunity to understand the revitalization of the Arts and Crafts movement and its contributions: art libraries at the college level will welcome it.

5 comments about The Collector's Encyclopedia of Hull Pottery.

1. this book tells you all you need to know about hull pottery



2. Though a fairly thorough bibliography of the Hull Pottery organization, this book is way too old(circa 1980!) to accurately depict today's collector market. Perhaps a collector's item now in itself, this book is in dire need of updating and revision. Referring to this edition as an "Encyclopedia" is an insult to readers and collector's alike. It also makes no mention of the extremely popular Marcrest "Daisy and Dot" line, for which I had hoped to find
   a complete product listing. I believe Jeff Snyder's "Decades of Design" publication will provide me with this important information.



3. I am a dealer so I use this book for pricing, but whether a dealer or collector this is a good book. Plenty of photos, price guide is right on the mark. I am satisfied with it.



4. I BOUGHT THE BOOK TO IDENTIFY THE HULL VASES WHICH I'VE COLLECTED OVER THE YEARS, BUT I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED WHEN I OPENED THIS BOOK. MANY OF THE ITEMS WERE ALMOST UNIDENTIFIABLE, DUE TO WASHED OUT PHOTOS OF THE PASTEL ITEMS - AND THE PASTELS ARE THE ONLY HULL ITEMS WHICH I OWN. I WAS HARD-PRESSED TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT. THE YELLOWS, PINKS, GREENS AND LIGHT BLUES ARE SO PALE, AS TO NOT BE ABLE TO TELL WHERE ONE COLOR ENDS AND THE OTHER BEGINS. IN MANY PHOTOS, THERE IS ALMOST AN ABSENCE OF COLOR - EVERYTHING IS JUST A BLUR. IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOMS OF THE VASES I OWN, I'D NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM - CERTAINLY NOT BY THE PICTURES. REALLY POOR EDITING. THOSE PHOTOS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED AND RE-DONE.



5. If I could purchase only one Hull reference it would be Jeffrey Snyder's Hull Pottery: Decades of Design. The Roberts book uses color photos that look they were taken in the 1950's and in at least one case I was unable to ID a piece because of the graniness of the photo. She does include some pieces Synder's book does not and vice versa. I have found using one book to supplement the other the best bet.

1 comments about Looking at Greek Vases.

1. This was a gift to a 14 yr old collector who lives in Rome Italy, He says it is wonderful, read the whole thing right thru. He actually finds this stuff (parts of)in fields near Rome!

3 comments about Warman's Weller Pottery: Identification and Price Guide (Warmans).

1. I knew absolutely nothing about Weller Pottery before I read this book, and now I feel very confident both in making purchases and selling them. Very well-organized, thorough and easy to follow. I wish they had included more photos of pieces from some of the lesser known Weller lines, but it is possible that they were just not available. I am going to buy the Ragos' other pottery books for reference and I would highly recommend this book!



2. This is an excellent book with succinct reviews and information concerning most all of the Weller lines. I especially liked the writer's opinions of the current popularity of various Weller lines. This is good if you are seeking to invest or resell items. Prices are current, but a real collector will pay whatever price is needed to add that unusual piece to their collection. This is one book I wish I had had at the beginning of my collecting and found useful now as well. Much better than some of those dictionaries out there, but the wise collector needs both to increase their knowledge and expertise in buying. The pictures are some of the best and great text. Great price. I recommend this book.



3. I recently purchased a piece of Weller. I was glad to find a new resource guide with information and prices. Good variety of photos.

5 comments about The Complete Cookie Jar Book.

1. I have a Cookie jar which isnt listed in the book.
   Any way I can find out more about it?



2. As of July 2007 cookie jar values have plummeted on Ebay. I would estimate people are willing to pay 50 % or less than in 1999 or 2000. The cookie jar collecting bubble burst. Examples-- A Hull Barefoot Boy did go for 200 easily. One recently started at 79 dollars and received no bids. A Shawnee Smily or Winnie dressed up in Shamrock or Chysanthemums (sic) etc was about 200-225 in 2000. I got each for about 100 DOLLARS this summer.
   If you like cookie jars-- the time to buy is now. For folks that bought jars in the late 90s, your collection is worth 50-60% less.
   Point-- this book's values are way out of date and using them will result in your paying way too much. Better to go on Ebay and watch for awhile or look at what jars you want went for recently via Searching History.
   The pics are great-- but as i said in late 1999, the coverage is not comprehensive of all makers-- focusing mainly on McCoy and American Bisque



3. This book helps price cookie jars before you buy, plus it gives you ideas on what you would like in your collection. Well worth the price of the book.



4. Now in its fourth edition, The Complete Cookie Jar Book by Mike Schneider is a 312-page catalogue and price guide of collectible and antique cookie jars. Filled from cover-to-cover with full color photographs illustrating each of the more than 2000 cookie jars featured, The Complete Cookie Jar Book is a superbly organized, expertly informative, and inherently fascinating resource for collectors and curiosity seekers with an interest in this traditional piece of kitchenware.



5. Mike Schneider has provided an invaluable service to cookie jar collectors everywhere. Mike was the first author to include the dimensions of the cookie jars and to shoot the cookie jars from the top of the finial. With all of the reproductions out there today, it is hard for beginning collectors to know which cookie jars are original and which ones are reproduction.

   Mike's innovative approach to photographing the cookie jars from the top of the finial gives collectors a whole new perspective on what the cookie jars look like and I think this is important.

   Other authors of collectibles books owe Mike a debt of gratitude. His detailed descriptions of cookie jars, including their dimensions, make his cookie jar book the standard by which all collectibles books should be written. I find that many authors miss the small details when it comes to writing about their collectible of choice. Information pertaining to the year of production and the dimensions, along with the color variations it was produced in, are the key to educating collectors. Mike Schneider delivers all this and more in his book.

   This is one book that no serious cookie jar collector should be without.

4 comments about Collectors Encyclopedia of Russel Wright: Identification & Values (Collectors Encyclopedia of Russel Wright).

1. We've been collecting RW since 1998, and have hundreds of hard to find and many one of a kind pieces.
   
   Pros:
   -Some new photos.
   -The most comprehensive author of Russel Wright, covering all designs from all eras, including furniture and plastic
   -Detailed price guides
   -History and chronology of lines based on extensive research
   
   Cons:
   -Due to wide scope of the book, it is fairly easy to find incorrect information on pieces, prices, and other data.
   -Truncated some interesting information from 2nd edition, including photos of very rare items that we collect
   
   Neutral:
   -Moved prices to back (for easier reference?).
   
   Bottom line: 2 stars for accuracy, 4 stars for breadth, 3 stars for depth. Thus the average rating. If you seriously collect RW and do not have either the 2nd or 3rd edition of this book, you should buy this as without doubt this is certainly better than other RW books (and we have several others), but again not necessarily a must have for those with the 2nd edition.



2. I just started collecting Russel Wright dishes, and was looking for a definitive reference guide to help key out the pieces I had. I thought this book had a lot of helpful information about determining pattern and manfacturing locations, but I was a bit disappointed overall. Though the cover of the book features only pottery, the book itself has examples of all that Russel Wright created in his long, prolific career-- all the way down to the radios and lamps. It would be great for the diehard RW fan, but I wished it just focussed on the pottery.



3. I am so happy to have gotten this book. I knew little-to-nothing about Wright,and Ann Kerr's book lays out all kinds of information about the man, the artist, and his art. I haven't had much of a problem without an index, as she has all the information chaptered out, and it is all easy to access. The accompanying photos are excellent and there are many. She also explains any areas which may be ambiguous, such as color, size and shape anomalies. Due to getting this book, I often know more about the pieces I find than the dealers do, as she tries to fit in every piece of information that she has, on every aspect of the collectible items. I love this book!



4. Packed with information, this book is cumbersome to use since it doesn't have an index.

1 comments about Oriental Antiques & Art: An Identification and Value Guide.

1. Lots of example values of pieces. Few have pictures, and even fewer have color pics. The listings are organized by category, but beyond that the details are buried in text and could have been better-separated. (I.e. having date and location of manufacture called out would be helpful.)
   
   I have a particular example--Chinese cloisonne pieces of particular ages have hand-written "China" on the bottom, while others have stamped "China" instead. This book does not clarify which mark identifies which era.
   
   This sort of thing definitely could use digitization. I would *love* to be able to search the entire text with keywords. I am a collector of Chinese pieces with bats. These pieces range from cloisonne to porcelains.
   
   I do appreciate identification guides for "signatures" and makers marks. I would have appreciated a guide to identifying fakes, as many of these items are faked on a regular basis.