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.
 

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.

Red Cliff Ironstone (Hall China) began production in 1903 and continues to this day.  Tea was produced by this firm between 1957 and 1977.  The Tea Leaf produced by this potter is actually a reproduction.  Fred Clifford of Red Cliff Co. purchased old pieces of English Tea Leaf and had it reproduced by Hall China Co. of East Liverpool Ohio.  Hall is a very old company and continues making ironstone and china to this day.  Red Cliff stopped producing Tea Leaf because they could not produce a lustre that wouldn't come off in the dish washer.

William Brunt, Jr. & Co. operated from 1865 to 1878.  The founder began making white ware at the East Liverpool pottery in 1877.  In 1878, his son William and son-in-law, Brad Louthan, joined him and the company name changed to William Brunt, Son & Co.  It operated under this name until 1911.

Years of Operation: 1884-1925

Anchor Pottery was first owned by Israel Lacey.  Lacey owned the pottery from 1884 until his death in 1897.  After Lacey's death, the pottery was taken over by a partnership between James E. Norris, Frank S. Jones and Cyril D. Jones from 1897 to 1926. The later built the business up to 250 employees operating 14 kilns.  In the early 21st century some of the pottery buildings still existed on New York Avenue.  

The leaves of the Tea Leaf motif used by this firm are very spikey.

Founders Isaac Knowles, his son Homer S. Knowles, son-in-law John N. Taylor, began a pottery that became the largest pottery in the United States, selling to every state in the union. Isaac was the originator of many improvements in the pottery industry. K.T.K. was the first pottery in the U.S. to use natural gas to fire the kilns. By 1887, K.T.K. operated 16 kilns, 12 decorating kilns, and employed six hundred workers. The company produced a finished cask of product every ten minutes of working time.