A collector friend from North Carolina, Peg Wiebe, sent me this reproduction of an advertisement for Sunset Mountain Pottery which was published in July 1929. (To access a full-size copy of the ad, click on the image below)
Sunset Mountain Pottery was made by J. B. Cole's Pottery and sold by a business named The Treasure Chest in Asheville, NC. The dates generally given for this arrangement are 1929-1935, so this ad is very likely the first for Sunset Mountain Pottery.
This is how the advertisement describes the wares:
The gorgeous autumnal colorings of this quaint hand-turned pottery from the “Hill Country” of Carolina makes it readily adaptable to home decoration. The cool dark green or the warm sunset tones blend charmingly with late summer and early autumn flowers. Several of the pieces shown will also make delightful lamp bases.
All shapes are available in two colors – orange reds with darker markings, and dark green with darker markings. Please specify color when ordering.
Above: J. B. Cole's Pottery vase with "Sunset Mountain Pottery" stamp (inset). Click on the image for a larger view.
The Treasure Chest and another mountain crafts business, Log Cabin, were combined and incorporated in 1932 as Three Mountaineers, Inc. The business eventually came to focus on wooden furniture and other wooden articles. The Sunset Mountain Pottery line was discontinued in 1935.
This article was published originally in Backcountry Notes.Copyright © 2009 by Jay Henderson.