Frankoma Pottery is an American pottery company located in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. The company is widely known for its sculptures and dinnerware although the company made many other products including figurines, trivets, and vases.[1] All Frankoma pottery is made in the United States from locally dug clay.[2]
Frankoma was founded by John Frank in 1933. The name Frankoma was created from Frank's last name and the last three letters of the state of Oklahoma.[3] John Frank operated the pottery with his wife Grace Lee Frank until his death in 1973. His daughter Joniece ran the pottery until 1991 when she was forced to sell the struggling company. In 1991 Richard Bernstein of Maryland purchased Frankoma and in 2005 sold the business to Det Merryman.[4] The company was closed for six weeks and was sold again during the summer of 2008, reopening on August 18, to new owner Joe Ragosta. Ragosta plans to bring back all the employees and continue the Frankoma line of pottery.[5] The year 2008 marked the company's 75 year anniversary.[2]
It remained closed and then went on the auction block on May 18, 2011. Over a thousand pieces of pottery plus showroom fixtures and equipment were sold. The 1,800 original molds and the Frankoma name were not included in the sale. The real estate also was not part of the auction.[6]