Rare 1914 NONCONNAH North Carolina Pottery Tall Vase Possibly unique signature: "NONCONNAH Skyland NC 1914" Start Price USD 299.00 Current Price USD 2,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 20 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, October 02, 2008 End Time Thursday, October 09, 2008 Location carrboro, NC See more about 'Rare 1914 NONCONNAH North Carolina Pottery Tall Vase' Description      Walter Stephen's first experience with art pottery came in Tennessee at a small pottery shop that he operate with his mother which they called Nonconnah Pottery. Walter Stephen was perhaps best known in North Carolina for his Pisgah Forest Pottery, which he established in the Asheville, NC area in 1926. However, upon moving to North Carolina in 1913 shortly following his parents' deaths, he soon established a pottery in Skyland (near Asheville) that he also called the Nonconnah Pottery. This North Carolina version of the Nonconnah Pottery produced some of the earliest art pottery made in the state, and surviving examples are considerably rarer than Stephen's later Pisgah Forest pieces. The tall vase offered at auction today dates to 1914 (the date appears on its base) and has an ivy leaf and vine design painted on the matte green glaze in white slip near the top rim. This technique of repeated application of white slip by brush to give a raised design is the so-called Cameo style that reminded people of Wedgwood pottery. A similar vase, although with a grapevine design, is photographed on page 45 of Rodney Leftwich's book "Pisgah Forest and Nonconnah: The Potteries of Walter B. Stephen". The "signature" on this vase is particularly exciting. On page 43 of his book, Leftwich states: "Sometimes the mark was neatly incised or scratched in....Dated examples are known marked "1914" and "1915".... One example is known with the pottery location, incised "Skyland, NC" ".  We believe that this is the very vase with the incised "Skyland, NC" location that Leftwich was referring to. In any case, to have the incised "NONCONNAH" and "Skyland, NC" location along with the "1914" date (see photos or base) makes for a unique and highly desirable signature on one of Walter Stephen's earliest North Carolina art pottery examples. Adding to the excitement is the original mint condition of the vase with no cracks, chips, hairlines, or repairs. A few of the letters of "NONCONNAH" are a bit hard to read due to a glaze skip in the central region of the base, as made. The vase is 11 1/2 inches tall, has a diameter of 3 7/8 inches at the base, and a diameter of 3 1/4 inches at the top rim. An amazing rarity worthy of a museum collection or any advanced American art pottery collection. Shipping: US only; $25 charge for fully insured, double-boxed shipping Payment: PayPal, personal check, or money order Place a Bid!