Hull Pottery Marks: How to Identify Incised, Raised, and Paper Label Pieces
Hull Pottery of Crooksville, Ohio produced art pottery from 1905 until 1986. The company is best known for its matte pastel glazed art pottery lines from the late 1930s through early 1950s — Little Red Riding Hood cookie jars and banks, Magnolia, Wildflower, and Water Lily vases — and for the dramatic pivot in style forced by a 1950 factory flood and rebuilding. Pre-1950 and post-1950 Hull are so different in style and marking that collectors treat them as two distinct collecting categories.
Pre-1950 Hull Marks: Incised and Impressed
The most desirable Hull pieces — matte glaze art pottery from the late 1930s–1940s — use an incised or impressed mark in the base consisting of the line name, a shape number, and a size designation. Example: 'Magnolia / 4-8 ½' means the Magnolia line, shape 4, 8.5-inch size. Some pieces also carry 'Hull USA' or 'Hull Art USA' impressed. These marks are hand-incised or mold-impressed, so they appear slightly irregular and are part of the clay body. Shape numbers for popular pre-1950 lines range from 1 to approximately 80 within each line. The absence of a post-flood mark is itself evidence of pre-1950 production.
Post-1950 Hull Marks: The Rebuild Era
After the 1950 factory flood destroyed the original kilns, Hull rebuilt with different equipment and shifted to glossy glaze finishes. Post-1950 marks typically read 'Hull' in a more standardized format, often with 'Oven-Proof USA' (for kitchenware lines) or 'Hull USA' with a copyright symbol added in later decades. The Little Red Riding Hood line (1943–1957) straddles both eras and is among the most collected Hull — pre-1950 pieces have incised marks; post-1950 pieces use impressed marks. Paper labels were used through both eras as supplementary identification and are often absent from secondary market pieces.
Little Red Riding Hood: The High-Value Exception
Hull's Little Red Riding Hood line commands prices 3–10× above comparable Hull lines: cookie jars sell for $150–$600, rare bank versions for $400–$1,200. The line was actually manufactured by Regal China for Hull using Hull's designs. Marks on these pieces read 'Hull Ware / Little Red Riding Hood / Pat. Des. No. 135889 USA.' The patent number is the key authentication element — fakes either omit it or use wrong numbers. Glaze on genuine pieces has a soft, translucent quality; reproductions are typically harder-looking with flatter colors. Apron details and basket wicker texture should show crisp mold definition on genuine pieces.
Condition Grading Standards
Mint (M): no chips, no cracks, matte glaze fully intact — essential for pre-1950 matte line values. Excellent (E): very minor glaze crazing acceptable on pre-1950 matte pieces, no chips. Good (G): base chip only, no cracks. Fair (F): rim chip or professional repair. For pre-1950 matte glaze pieces, the finish itself is fragile — scratches to the matte surface from improper cleaning are permanent and reduce value 20–40%. Never clean matte Hull with abrasive cleaners. For Little Red Riding Hood pieces, any chip to the figure itself (head, basket, apron) reduces value sharply; these are sculptural pieces where damage is immediately visible.
Quick Reference for Sale Day
Read the base mark and confirm it's incised or impressed into the clay — not painted or labeled only. Note the line name and shape/size number if present. For pre-1950 matte pieces, check the matte glaze surface for scratches under raking phone light. For Little Red Riding Hood, confirm the patent number is present and complete. Cross-reference shape numbers against published Hull catalogs (available online) — line name plus shape number confirms authenticity and dates the piece to within 3–5 years. Hull identification resources are among the most comprehensive of any American pottery — use them on your phone at the sale.
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