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In an early 1903 formula on display at the Pioneer's Museum in Colorado Springs (possibly indicated on some pieces by the incised Roman numeral III"), written by Artus himself, the clays were composed primarily of filtered Sherman clay, from Golden Colorado, and ground flint. Combined with water and screened, this made the "slip" or clay slurry. A frit, or soft glass is then made out of borax, whiting, kaolin, and flint. This was melted down and powdered by mortar and pestle. The frit then has additions of whiting, white lead, feldspar and kaolin (which also makes a bright lead glaze). For the dead matte glaze, Artus add powdered marble, spar, mitherite and flint. He also noted that mixing the batches in large quantities could produce disastrous consequences, and cautioned that batches must be small. Among other formula notes, are his comments to add copper (oxide red) for the Ming Blue glaze. All other colorants were purchased from New York.

The artisans of that era seem to have had access to a ready variety of clay types, and utilized them freely, perhaps striving for particular characteristics for one or another piece of pottery. As most records of this era were lost to a string of disasters, we may never have a complete list of the early clays used at Van Briggle, but we know that advertisements from the era proudly boasted of the use of Colorado elements, and their ability to reflect the nature of the state's varied colors in nature.

After Mr. Jesse Lewis bought the pottery on April 19, 1920, clay types became more standardized and definable, exhibiting a mostly sandy "buff" color. This is also when production was stepped up to include export (USA bottoms to designate country of manufacture from 1922 to 1926), and the Memorial plant experienced a major series of upgrades after a catastrophic fire. There are example in the 20's, however, of other clay types still being used, possibly during the process of experimentation or as clay and mineral supplies demanded. Some 1920's pieces exhibit a white clay bottom that would not become their standard clay for another decade.

In the 1930's, Van Briggle switched mainly to a fine white clay that would remain largely unchanged until 1970. In the first few years of the white clay's use, however, we can also see instances of older clay bodies still being sold by Van Briggle. Whether these were old bisque stock glazed after the white clay came into production, or whether the old clays were used up for a period in conjunction with the new white clay, is not known, as records were once again lost to history in the floods of 1935.

The post war period (boomer, Eames, modernist, atomic, or "Jetsons" era) was a time of change, and Van Briggle was not immune from that. In 1954, Mr. Lewis decided to purchase the Dryden Pottery in Kansas and pursue the public's thirst for anything and everything "space-age." Dryden produced quite a number of interesting high gloss pieces, including the Moroccan vase, triple bud vase, the rustic barrel mug / pitcher sets, animals, and some very far-out ultra-modern pieces. From 1954 until 1968, Van Briggle simultaneously produced 2 clay bodies and two glaze types - their standard matte, and a new line of high gloss products obtained from Dryden.

The Dryden clay was a ruddy, light-bodied affair. Fred Wills describes it as "porous" which is an adept description. To heft a piece cast with Dryden clay, and an identical piece cast with Van Briggle White clay, one can instantly feel the difference in substance. Even though the Dryden molds produced a thinned walled piece, one can instantly feel that - all things being equal - the Dryden clay was less dense by measures.

That radical difference in clay would haunt Mr. Lewis and the next owner of Van Briggle, Mr. Kenneth W. Stevenson, as well as the Van Briggle employees who doubtless got some cross stares from management for not being able to solve the problem right away: Dryden clay and glaze were not in any way compatible with Van Briggle clay and glaze. Thus was born the "Anna" line of Van Briggle pottery. Not as an honorific to Artus' wife, as many popularly believe, but as a way to identify a line of pottery that was proving to be a technical headache of monumental proportions.

In 1968, Fred Wills and Joe Jezek made adjustments to the clay that solved the compatibility problems. "We did take out one chemical that caused bubbling in the Dryden glaze." According to Fred. "We added a darker clay from Dryden to the Van Briggle clay and put less of the lighter clays from Van Briggle body. The Dryden body was a bit more porous than Van Briggle. We also used more frit in the new body. Frit is a low fired chemical; it helps fuse the clays together."

"Joe and I also took out the amount of flint when we added the frit." Fred said. "Flint and frit are both silica that fires at different temperatures." The clay still retained it's ruddy Dryden look and porosity, and is almost indistinguishable to the naked eye from the original warm-tinted and porous Dryden clay, but by adjusting the mineral balance and solving the compatibility problem, they closed the chapter on the "Anna" line, and subsequent high gloss pieces are incised with standard Van Briggle marks.

The modified Dryden clay was used until 1989, when the last of the Dryden glaze formulas were retired in favor of new high gloss formulas.

In 1970, the standard white Van Briggle clay that had enjoyed the longest run of any clay in the pottery's history was put out to pasture. After 1970, the clay was changed altogether, and still exhibits a light beige color, often called "buff" which cannot be confused with the previous white clay.

That same basic clay - with a few minor adjustments - is in use today.

________

Sources:
Fred Wills, Master Potter - Van Briggle Pottery, 1947 - 1989
Steve Splittgerber, Curator, Schleich Redwing Pottery Museum
Pioneers Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado
The Collector's Encyclopedia of Van Briggle Pottery - Richard Sasicki and Josie Fania
The Van Briggle Story - Dorothy McGraw Bogue

 

©2005 - clemhull.com
No part may be reproduced in any form without permission.

 
1903 - Type III

View of inside of vase with clear glaze. Bottom incised with Roman numeral III - Outside and Bottom covered with glaze.

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1904

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1907

Light Brown - Showing shellac and bare clay bottom.

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1907

Tan - Bisqueware (no glaze or shellac)

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Early 1920's

Light Ruddy Brown

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Mid to Late 1920's

Sandy

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Early 1930's

Sandy

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1930 - 1970

White clay body - No shellac.

The white clay body was introduced in 1935 and was the standard clay (except the "Anna" line") until 1970.

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1930 - 1970

White clay body - Showing shellac and uncovered clay

Note that the Shellac makes the while clay appear darker.

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1930 - 1970

White clay body - Shellac intact

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1954 - 1989

Clay base for early high gloss lines, originally a Dryden clay formula that was altered in 1968, and used until 1989. The altered form looked almost identical, although chemically different.

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1970 - Present

Beige clay color, with and without shellac covering the bottom.

©2005 - clemhull.com