Antique Marblehead Pottery Vase. Simple, muted grey tone throughout, with a darker interior. Marked on the base. Paper label on exterior with information. 

Condition: Excellent. 

Size: 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. 

In 1904 Arthur Eugene Baggs (October 27th, 1886-February 15th, 1947) joined Marblehead Pottery in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a unique organization founded as a form of convalescence therapy for sanitarium patients. Baggs was an American chemist and potter who had studied under Charles Fergus Binns at Alfred University, and turned the company into a successful money-making enterprise rather than a simple therapeutic endeavor. Their earliest pieces followed the arts and crafts trends that swept the country at the dawn of the 20th Century, but were more functional and austere in appearance and use, due in part to the belief that bright colors would agitate the patients. In 1915 Baggs took over ownership of the company, and by the early 1920s the workforce had grown to include many regular workers with their focus shifted almost exclusively to art pottery. Their salt-glazed stoneware was highly sought by New Englanders for their muted earth-toned colors, and Baggs began to divide his time there with Cowan Pottery in Rocky River, Ohio, working as a glaze chemist from 1925 to 1928. In 1929 he became a full-time professor of ceramics at Ohio State University, moving out of Massachusetts completely, and although he remained the owner of Marblehead his departure led to a rapid downturn in their fortunes. In 1936, facing numerous difficulties caused by the Great Depression and poor management, the company closed for good, and today their pieces are highly sought by collectors for their special place in the history of American art pottery.

Excellent.