Frankoma Art Pottery
The founder of the company, John Frank, came to Oklahoma in 1927 as an art and pottery teacher at the University of Oklahoma. Working on various geological digs, he discovered the rich clays of the region and set up a studio using a butter churn to mix the clay and a fruit jar to grind the glazes. It wasn't long till he left his teaching position to further his love for creating pottery, according to the company's Web site. Frankoma pieces made since 1954 sport a red clay from Sapulpa, Okla.in comparison to the older pieces formed with a tan colored clay dug at Ada, Okla. (Read more below listings)
 frankoma vase $15.00 |
 Frankoma Pottery White Style Pitcher with 835 on bottom $19.88 |
 Frankoma Pottery Prairie Green Planter A6 $29.88 |
Using these source names of Sapulpa and Ada, along with glaze colors and item styles, collectors are able to identify and date Frankoma Pottery. The Great Southwest served as inspiration for many Frankoma works. The factory formed pitchers shaped like wagon wheels, attractive boot-shaped vases and interesting Native American masks over the years. Two of their most recognizable glazes are named Prairie Green and Desert Gold. In fact, many people associate Frankoma entirely with their medium green glaze that seemed rather dated and unattractive until recently. Since both these colors were used extensively over the years, it's the type of clay used in the piece rather than the color of the glaze, which determines value in this instance.
