Featured Antique? Native? Pottery Vase Lizards or Geckos Signature? Style?

I believe this 6 inch tall by 7 1/2 inch in diameter at the widest area vase to be old. Any idea? I cannot read the signature. Does it look SW, Native or ? I have had it about 5 years, maybe more, but I have had it in my kitchen at least that long. Do not remember where I picked it up, a sale of some kind. So, as you can see, the only thing I know is I like it. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you! I am not selling it, well, if it was valuable I would because I would be too afraid to use dust it. Also, do any of you know if can you wash old pottery that is crackled? Does the water do more because of the cracks in the glaze.

 

Do you think it might say Charles?

 

I do not see the ...es but that means nothing. Do you know of an older Charles potter who does vases like this?

 

Lovely, looks more like studio pottery to me

 

But a good one

 

It sure looks like studio pottery to me also. The style would then be southwestern. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, that @Taupou has repeatedly stressed, authentic Native American pottery is never wheel thrown or glazed.

The first four letters of the siggy look like 'chan' to me.

 

Raku firing?

 

I agree, it looks like Chan... not sure of the rest?
I've had luck with pottery over the years and if were buying low (at a yard sale) and selling for profit I would expect somewhere at least $120 and as much as $180. The lizard design is very clever and caught me by surprise. Nice work.

 

I thought the same by the darkened base

 

It's raku (post-firing reduction), not very successful, in that the unglazed clay didn't turn out very black.

Since post-firing reduction was a process developed by American potter Paul Soldner, it dates no earlier than the late 1960s, when he developed it. The white glaze is designed to crack, and isn't any indication of age.

Unless it is glazed inside, and high-fired, raku isn't water proof. You can wash and dry it, however, without harming the glaze.

Raku isn't a Native American Indian process (although many tribal people have probably tried it over the years.) I wouldn't even call this pot "SW style," it's just studio pottery raku.

Soldner, as well as many other potters, were teaching classes, holding numerous workshops, and having raku firings in the 1970s, so just about everyone who was interested eventually tried their hand at making raku pottery. Thus it may be next to impossible to determine who exactly made it. But the way it is signed, with "authority," indicates it was done by an accomplished potter. Value would be more in the range of whatever an interested buyer was willing to pay for it, based on its decorative value.

 

I just learned something........ thank you !!

 

Thank you very much! A wealth of knowledge and glad to know when it gets a little oily after being in my kitchen window for awhile, I can wash it off. I was afraid of the crackle getting darker and staying darker. Thank you all!