Featured Van Briggle pottery frog --with 3D frogs -- can I just wash in soapy water?

This was a garage sale purchase today.

Kind of a fun find as I was late to the sale. The sale wasn't that large, just in a small section of a garage, and they were selling a large shelf on a work bench with sunglasses behind it. Ironically the sunglasses caught my eye first, and then next to the sunglasses I saw the flower frog. The owner even suggested it might be "Van Briggle". Had a good enough look to my eye that I was getting it either way, $7.

Now home at the computer, Van Briggle seems to be correct. Have already found similar. I think this might be called "Mulberry" for the color.

Anyway, it is DUSTY, and even has a tiny bit of sort of grime in one part, but that does seem to come off, I tried a bit with my fingernail and it came off. So photos show a not-yet-cleaned item.

2 questions. I think it would look/sell a lot better when clean. Can I just soak this in some light dish soap and water? Also, how do I describe that little extra bit of clay underneath, on the base. (Last photo.) Thinking it was a by-product of production, maybe?



Thanks for taking a look.

 

Hi -
The glaze and clay have been fired so washing with dish soap and water won't hurt it.
I don't think I would soak it in soapy water, although as a flower frog, it would have sat in water for a few days while holding flowers.

I like it, nice find.

 

Thanks, Cluttered. Got it, no soaking in soapy. And good point, flower frogs do sit in water... ! I guess should be okay so soak.

I was pretty excited to get it. I rarely find stuff like this anymore at garage sales.

 

Nylon scrubbing brush - splash on some liquid soap and a dash of water and scrub away. Should be almost impossible to damage it.
Cheers
Stephen

 

Thank you Stephen. Good suggestion!

 

Hi Lucille! I checked my Van Briggle book, and altho the pictures in it are poor, it does show what looks like your frog. In the two picture shown, it says it was unmarked. The other frogs (as in flower arrangement) states that they were marked. Clays used were red, gray, beige, white and sandy tone.

It seems that 99% of pieces were marked.

Reference by Richard Sasicki and Josie Fania.

 

Hi, Judy, thanks. Getting a confirmation from a Van Briggle book that these were unmarked is helpful.

Funny, at the sale, the fact that it was unmarked gave me a few seconds pause, as I am so used to Van Briggle being marked. (Sounds like most pieces are!)

Cheers.

 

BTW, did you see this link (it says "search ebay faster!!) :

https://picclick.com/-390711514176.html

 

I also "computer screen blew up" your frog base image 'cuz I thought I saw a letter.. looks like a "B" by the arrow....could be one of the artists who worked on it somehow.....there's also another circled area...but am not so positive about that one...ALSO, I am assuming that you noticed that yours is missing one hole????

 

I'll check. Thanks!

As these were (according to Judy's Van Briggle book) not marked, my guess is we are looking at some imperfections in the clay, but off to double check! Thanks.

 

What a great find, Lucky Lucille. I've had a few of their pieces over the years & love their glazing.
Did you get the glasses?

 

great piece Lucille