Teco pottery

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The American Terra Cotta Tile and Ceramic Company was founded in 1881 in Terra Cotta Illinois, near Chicago. The production consisted of drain tile, brick and architectural items. In 1886 the Gates Pottery was established as a subsidiary with William D. Gates as its president. Gates used the facilities to experiment with clays and glazes in an effort to design a line of Art Pottery which led to the introduction of Teco Pottery (TErra COtta) in 1902.

The hallmark matte green glaze of Teco Art Pottery was developed independently and wasn't an attempt to copy the famous Grueby green. Many Teco shapes can also be found in brown, yellow, blue, pink and maroon, but Teco Green is most valued by today's collectors.

While most of the 500 shapes created by 1911 were the product of Gates' efforts, many of the remaining Teco designs were the work of a group of young Chicago architects that were involved in the Prairie School style as defined by Frank Lloyd Wright. They had rejected the revival styles of American architecture of the 19th century in favor of using wood, stone and clay in simple uncluttered forms. Any ornamentation consisted of geometrical or natural objects which merged gracefully with the form. Teco Pottery became closely linked with this style and the pottery was often an integral part of Prairie School homes much as Grueby has been closely linked to the Arts and Crafts era Craftsman style Bungalow.

While it is not known how long Teco Art Pottery was made, ads and articles have been found dating up to about 1923.

[edit] The sterling mark

The following is taken directly from an early Catalog[1].

We prize most highly a piece of silver with the “Sterling” mark on it, because the mark tells us the quality of the silver. Makers of objects of art have long used a “hall-mark” as a pledge of quality. To protect the purchaser against substitution, the Gates Potteries stamp this mark on every piece of Teco Art Pottery, and none is genuine without it. Insist that the pieces you purchase have the TECO mark on them, as it is your guarantee of quality and genuineness. When you see the Teco mark on any piece of pottery you can rely upon its artistic merit and intrinsic worth. When you select a piece of Teco Art Pottery for a gift, you know it will be acceptable and prized by the recipient, because the mark TECO is a guarantee of genuine art value, and will be so recognized wherever it is seen.