Clays in Calico Pottery - Found in a Box

When I closed down my last brick & mortar store, I tried to list everything that I had that I thought might sell and help pay some of the huge debt that I had run up at the time. All of the rest went into bags and boxes and up into the rafters of my garage to be dealt with when times got a little better and I had a little more time. I guess that time has come because I have started to dig through them. Actually I'm finding that the knowledge I have gained in the last five years of studying pottery has turned some of this "unknown trash" into some very interesting and possibly profitable treasure. One of these items is shown in the pictures below. Introducing the one and only "Clays in Calico Barrel Mug"'

I call it one and only because that is exactly what it is. It is valuable only in knowledge, not in cash. Clays in Calico was founded by Mr & Mrs Wes VanGorden in 1960 in an old hotel in Cardwell, Montana. The original Building is gone and the pottery has been managed bt Ron & Linda Jung since 1979. Each piece is unique and is made from local precambrian shale that has been separated into the three colors and than poured into the molds. This particular shale is not found anywhere else in the world. Every piece that is made is different because of the colors and swirl patterns caused by pouring the molten clays anto the molds.

It is a little more complicated than that and here is a link to their home page that will explain it a lot better than I can.

Clays in Calico

Of course since I am in business I have listed this piece:

Clays in Calico Barrel Mug in Quality Junk at the Atomic Mall

Thanks for listening.... ☺☺☺☺