Bauer Pottery  
from the archives of Country Living

Bauer Ring-Ware bowls (PHOTO: BY PETER BRENNER )

Southern California earned fame with its simply shaped, vividly colored ceramics for the kitchen and table.

The story began in the late 19th century in Paducah, Kentucky, where J. Andy Bauer purchased a pottery factory to produce such utilitarian wares as stoneware crocks, pitchers, and jugs. By the mid-1890's the factory produced a diverse line of inexpensive redware flowerpots and vases, brown-glazed jugs and crocks, and creamy-white mixing bowls, milk jugs, and pie plates, which were distributed throughout the Midwest.

The turning point for the pottery, which led to the wares that are avidly collected today, came in 1910, when Andy opened a second factory on the outskirts of Los Angeles in a neighborhood noted for its existing potteries, skilled workforce, and active freight rail line. Recognizing the burgeoning bungalow movement, the new factory supplemented its traditional redware with fresh designs intended to appeal to a new generation. By 1916 the J.A. Bauer Pottery Co. had also introduced a line of molded and hand-thrown art pottery vases and bowls, the majority finished in the popular green matte glaze.

Bauer Pottery's most recognizable wares were created after Andy's death by Louis Ipsen, who designed the first Bauer Ring-Ware, noted for its ringed or "ruffled" pattern of concentric circles. Produced quickly and efficiently in molds, Ring-Ware brought vibrant, glossy hues of blue, green, yellow, orange, black, and red to tables that had long seen only white.

Despite the hardships brought on by the Great Depression, Bauer's brightly colored Ring-Ware continued to generate tremendous sales, in part because of its affordable pricing. A set of five bowls sold for less than $2, while a one-quart water pitcher or teapot could be purchased for less than $1. Today prices vary widely, in part because dealers and collectors often are unsure of the availability of certain forms. More than 100 shapes of brightly glazed plates, bowls, pitchers, cups, saucers, and mugs were produced, making assembling a complete set a collecting challenge.

As any Bauer collector can attest, color, style, and condition are critical considerations. As Bauer pottery becomes more popular with collectors, prices are rising, and certain patterns in specific colors can sell for several hundred dollars apiece. Teapots, water pitchers, mixing bowl sets, and cookie jars are especially in demand and, therefore, pricey.

Like a lot of colorful ceramics, glazes for most Bauer dinnerware made before World War II contained lead to make the color appear deeper and more opaque. Because this lead can leach out, especially in contact with acidic food or drink, the FDA recommends limiting the use of antique ceramics to special occasions. Stop using ceramics that show a dusty or chalky gray residue on the surface after being washed.

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