Arts and Crafts Pottery

The arts and crafts pottery movement began in America in the 1870s. It is generally accepted that the original arts and crafts movement ended around 1920. The arts and crafts movement resulted in a return to the creativity and simplicity associated with the craft of producing hand-made art pottery. The arts and crafts movement reflected an abandonment of mass-produced art pottery in favor of the uniqueness and simplicity of style, form and glaze typically seen in arts and crafts pottery.

The arts and crafts movement is typically defined by the pottery produced by companies such as Grueby, Marblehead, Newcomb College, Wheatley, Teco, Rookwood, and early Van Briggle pottery. The arts and crafts style pottery movement relied upon the integrated expression of form and design by an individual craftsman who would typically individually complete the production of a piece of arts and crafts pottery. Today, many small studio potters are returning to the roots of the original arts and crafts movement and are producing limited edition or one-of-a-kind, handcrafted arts and crafts pottery.