Exquisite Early 20th Century J.W. McCoy Pottery Company Glazed Ceramic Jardiniere. Beautiful Arts and Crafts style, with robust floral designs across the exterior and a rich brown interior. 

Condition: Overall great. Very minor apologies in the surface glaze. 

Size: 10 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. 

In 1848 J.W. McCoy was born in Putnam, which is now part of Zanesville, Ohio. In 1871 he and his wife Sarah (Sade) Elizabeth Brown moved to Roseville, where he entered into a five year partnership with his father-in-law, James E. Brown, in a general merchandise business, which was called Brown & McCoy. After discovering a thriving trade in pottery in the community he became interested in the craft himself, and in 1886 he entered into a partnership to establish the Williams and McCoy Pottery Co. Four years later, facing some operational difficulties, a new partner joined and it was renamed Kildow, Williams, and McCoy Pottery Co. Despite McCoy’s desire to direct the company to specialized Arts and Crafts style pottery, they wound up producing bulk orders of stoneware, and in 1890 they rebranded once again as Midland Pottery, with McCoy more and more focused simply on retail and wholesales. In 1898 the business was sold to the Roseville Pottery Co., which used many of their designs but left the pieces completely unmarked. In 1899 J.W. McCoy finally formed a pottery solely under his name, the J.W. McCoy Pottery Co. He devoted all his time to designing and forming new pottery pieces, and in 1901 he turned the management of all of his other ventures over to his son Arthur. In 1902 the company branched out into developing art pottery, particularly known for their elaborately designed decorative items such as jardinières, pedestals, umbrella stands, and sand jars in attractive painted patterns and glazes. However, a devastating fire in 1903 set him back significantly, and he spent two years fully rebuilding the pottery before continuing his dream, now with brand new equipment and artists. In 1909 George Brush joined the J.W. McCoy Pottery Co., bringing his surviving assets after a devastating fire that had destroyed his own business. Brush worked there simultaneously while being the manager of the Globe Stoneware Company, and the Crooksville Clay Products Company before finally devoting himself solely to McCoy in 1911, becoming their general manager and ushering in a new era of pottery design for them. Through him, and J.W.’s son Nelson, the company transitioned into a major factory business that became the largest company in Roseville for a time, and lasted under numerous family descendents until finally closing in 1990. The family designs were commonly adapted by others throughout Ohio and the upper Appalachias, and McCoy pottery remains some of the most widely collected in the United States to this day.

Overall great. Very minor apologies in the surface glaze.