Vallona Starr pottery – ah, the color

Every now and then, I come across an auction item that draws me to its color or shape. It’s usually a warm color that’s simply beautiful.

This sweet little candy dish was among some pottery items I bought at auction. I didn’t buy it specifically for the dish but was delighted to find it once I started going through stuff in a box lot. It’s not the first piece of pottery whose shape or color has caused me to pause: I have three small contemporary pieces whose uniqueness is in their delicate size.

This new piece is in the form of a stylized leaf, with gilt around the edges and a greenish-creamish finish. When I flipped it over, I saw that it was signed: Vallona Starr, California. Unfortunately, there’s no date on the dish but it is likely from the 1950s. It’s not a large dish; it’s only 8″ long and 4 ¼” wide.

It even reminds me of California, with its fresh green-Earth ambience. Not that I know what California pottery looks or feels like (I’m sure the selection is pretty eclectic), but this comes close to what I’d imagine. This website, Potteries of California, offers information on potteries and styles in the state, and this one, California Pottery Index, offers a listing of potteries.

I found in Googling that Vallona Starr was not a person but the name of a company that made pottery from the 1930s to the 1950s. I could not find much on the company but I did come across a 1996 question-and-answer article by the experts Ralph and Terry Kovel. They said the company was founded in Los Angeles in the 1930s by Everett Starr Frost, his wife Leona and an artist named Valeria de Marsa. The three opened a ceramics gift shop called Triangle Studios and made their own designs under the name Vallona Starr. Another site said they moved the company to El Monte, Calif., and then changed the name. The company apparently closed in 1953.

They produced quirky and whimsical pieces called “Winkies,” pottery with round faces and a winked eye. They also made cookie jars, salt and pepper shakers, sugars and creamers, vases, snack sets and woodland designs. Some of their pieces appear to be collectibles, and there’s a 1995 book called “Vallona Starr Ceramics” by Bernice Stamper about the pottery.

My little dish doesn’t compare to some of their other pieces, especially the cookie jars (which are quite cute), but it’s a dear. It has a small chip but otherwise, it’s in good condition. As part of a box lot, I’m sure I barely paid for it (box lots – which can contain up to half-a-dozen items or more – can be gotten sometimes for 2 bucks). I’ll keep it around to lighten my day.