Tea Leaf

20th Cewntury Tea Leaf potter.  In business from 1963-1972 and famous for their Empress shape.  Manufactured lots of unusual pieces not found in 19th century Tea Leaf like salt & pepper shakers, ash trays, jam jars, etc.

In the 1980's former Tea Leaf Club, International member, Ruth Sayer began decorating odd pieces of ironstone made by different potters with copper lustre and theTea Leaf motif.  The original pieces were not marked but eventually she began identifying pieces with marks on the underside.  Marks include her initials "RS" or a Tea Leaf or an RS with a Tea Leaf design.  Later Ruth and her husband also made their own decorated pieces.
 

As far as Tea Leaf is concerned, Homer Laughlin China Co. (Kitchen Kraft) denies that they ever made or decorated with Tea Leaf but there are many pieces of Kitchen Kraft (which they did make) decorated with gold Tea Leafs.  The exact decorator of those Kitchen Kraft pieces is not known; however, the recently discovered Bahl Pottery Tea Leaf motif closely resembles that used on Kitchen Kraft pieces, and John Bahl was a decorated in East Liverpool, Ohio.

Cumbow China Decorating Co. (1932-1970) was founded by Jacob and Mabel (Cumbow) Ruskin in their home in Abingdon, Virginia.  Mabel was the decorator. They purchased blanks of pottery, both American and English, and decorated them with a variety of lustre paint.  The popularity of the pieces grew and in the 1940's the company moved from their home to a separate business. Of special interest to Tea Leaf collectors is the fact that Mabel Ruskin registered the Tea Leaf motif with the U.S. Patent Office.

John Wick Jr. founded Wick China Company (1889-1913) as well as the town of Wickboro in Pennsylvania.  Prior to forming this pottery, Mr. Wick was one of the operators of Ford China company in Ford City, Pennsylvania.  Mr. Wick built a pottery, a school and donated land for commercial enterprises all to make the town that bore his name a viable entity.  The pottery. which was located on North Water Street in Wickboro, was destroyed in a fire in 1914.

Wheeling Pottery Co. (1879-1923) was organized by George K. Wheat, William A. Isert and Edward Meakin Pearson.  Mr. Pearson served as General Manager.  He was a former Staffordshire potter connected to many of the principal members of the pottery industry in England.  Wheeling Pottery became one of the largest potteries in the U.S. consisting of fifteen kilns and thirteen decorating kilns.

Wellsville China Co. (1902-1959) was founded by a company led by Monroe Patterson using the site of the former Pioneer Pottery in Wellsville, Ohio.  The pottery specialized in semi-vitreous products.  The facility was acquired by Sterling China in 1959 and was closed by that company in 1969.

Founded by a Mr. Wallace and Joseph Chetwynd, the Wallace & Chetwynd Co. (1881-1901) operated in the former Harker "Wedgewood" pottery.  The facility was renamed "Colonial."  Mr. Chetwynd was a Staffordshire potter who had been employed as a manager and modeler in the Cockson & Chetwynd Pottery.  The Colonial Pottery was noted for the excellence of their ironstone.

The Bailey-Walker China Co. became Walker China Co. when Albert Walker bought out his partner and continued the operation.  They made hotelware in addition to pieces for home use.

Jabez Vodrey was a Staffordshire potter who came to American in the 1840's working in New Jersey, Kentucky and Indiana potteries before settling in East Liverpool Ohio.  His first pottery there was established in 1847, but it was in 1876 that his sons, William, James and John, built the Vodrey & Brother Pottery and began the production of white ware.  In 1896 the pottery was incorporated as Vodrey Pottery Company.