Hobbies And Interests
History
Prior to 1929, American cookie jars emulated European styles, such as glass or ceramic jars decorated with floral motifs. The screw-tops were metal, often silver-plated. Stoneware jars with stoneware lids replaced glass during the Great Depression. At first, these retained traditional shapes and floral motifs. Ceramic cookie jars in novelty shapes appeared in significant numbers after 1930. One of the earliest is a 1929 trash can by Brush Kolorkraft of Roseville, Ohio. Hull Pottery's Little Red Riding Hood design in 1943 is typical of the character cookie jars that became ubiquitous across America.
McCoy Cookie Jars
Most sought-after are McCoy cookie jars, also from Roseville, Ohio. Ohio was rich in clay and therefore an early base for the North American ceramics industry. McCoy's most famous products were "mammy" jars, produced from the late 1930s. Shaped as stereotyped African-American women, their large skirts contained the cavity for cookies. Earliest and most sought-after are "Mammy with Cauliflower" and "Mammy with Watermelons". A simpler form of McCoy "mammy" from the 1940s is monochrome; it came in aqua, white or yellow. "McCoy" is marked on the base.
Shawnee Pottery
Shawnee Pottery, of Zanesville, Ohio, is best known for its Winnie Pig and Smiley Pig jars. Shawnee would use the same mold for multiple products, altering the color of the clothing and accessories to obtain different lines. They were a mass production company, selling to F.W. Woolworth Co. and Sears. Shawnee pigs are marked "Winnie" or "Smiley" or have no mark at all.
American Bisque
Early American Bisque jars feature "characters," typically Dutch children, "grannies," clowns and chefs. Davy Crocket was another American Bisque favorite, as were various animals, especially pigs, puppies and kittens. Later, American Bisque jars represented licensed renditions of Popeye, Yogi Bear and other popular cartoon characters.
Other Collectible Brands
Louisville Pottery made jars for the Ransburg company. Often featuring nursery rhyme characters, Ransburg jars were produced in large numbers throughout the 1930s. Metlox, of California, specialized in animals, including flamingos, penguins, owls, pandas and raccoons. Red Wing Stoneware of Minnesota made jars of predominantly one color. Designs included grapes, cabbages, the King of Tarts and Chef Pierre. The cabbages are highly collectible in any color; the most desirable King of Tarts is the cinnamon version.
Fun Fact
Andy Warhol made cookie jar collecting fashionable. His collection was sold in 1987 for almost $250,000. Warhol's collection included nursery rhyme and Disney characters, pigs and a panda.
Caution
Collectible 1930s cookie jars are frequently reproduced or faked. Genuine examples usually have worn or cracked glaze, chipped surfaces and are often heavy. Any 1930s jar in perfect condition or where cracking looks too even is likely a reproduction.