Other recognized artists include Julia Mattson, Flora Huckfield, Freida Hammers, and Margaret Pachl. With Margaret Cable's and Flora Huckfield's retirement in 1949, the University of North Dakota art pottery production for resale dramatically reduced. Most UND Pottery is marked with the cobalt blue University of North Dakota seal and signed by the artist. In addition, some examples of UND Pottery are dated.
Frequently Asked Questions
North Dakota Pottery was established in 1909 at the University of North Dakota under the direction of Margaret Cable, utilizing local clays and handcraft traditions rooted in the Arts and Crafts pottery movement. Because each piece was produced in small numbers as part of a teaching program, surviving examples are both historically significant and scarce. For today’s collectors, owning one of these works means preserving a rare piece of regional and educational pottery history.
Most authentic pieces carry an ink stamp or an impressed “School of Mines” mark. Later works may also bear the signature of Margaret Cable or her students, providing reliable points of authentication for collectors.
Margaret Cable remains the best-known figure, but her students, including Melvin Henkel and Laura Taylor, also created important designs. Together, they made a lasting legacy of studio production, one that was tied to both the university and the broader Arts and Crafts movement.
The studio produced a wide range of functional and decorative wares, including ceramic bowls, vases, tankards, and plates. Many feature Native American–inspired motifs or stylized scenes from the regional landscape, making them distinctive among early 20th-century American art pottery.
Because the pottery was produced in limited numbers as part of a teaching program, surviving pieces are relatively scarce. The combination of small production runs, Cable’s leadership, and the studio’s academic origin ensures ongoing interest among collectors.
Well-preserved examples with intact glazes, crisp incised decoration, and clear markings command the highest values. While chips, cracks, or glaze wear can lower desirability, rare pieces, especially those signed by Cable, remain highly collectible.