NY World’s Fair 1940 American Potter Four Seasons Ashtray Set ("Spring", "Summer", "Autumn")

Brand: The American Potter (Homer-Laughlin - Fiestaware)

Series: The Four Seasons

Type: Ashtray Set

Includes:

• "Spring"
• Condition: Fair, standard green, some spots on the front under glaze, slight chip on the left side on the edge of the rim, another on the back side under the rim
• "Summer"
• Condition: Fair, standard blue, some crazing throughout, as well as a slight crack visible in the rim
• "Autumn" 
• Condition: Fair, standard red, slight flea bites throughout, as well as a slight crack extending from the rim nearly to the foot

About: With the help of the National Brotherhood of Operative Potters, Homer Laughlin China Company joined rival American pottery makers Knowles, Hall, Cronin, and Paden City to form a collaborative exhibit, The American Potter, during the New York Worlds fair from 1939 to 1940. Operating a kiln on the grounds, a wide variety of hand crafted ceramics were created on the spot and sold as souvenirs. Many of the Homer Laughlin pieces will be marked "The American Potter, 1939 (or 1940) World's Fair Exhibit, Joint Exhibit of Capital and Labor". These whimsical wares will delight the collector of Vintage Fiesta pottery. The six original Vintage Fiesta glazes found their way onto such items as The Four Seasons dishes, a wide variety of vases, George and Martha Washington Bust Mugs and Individual Creamers, Relief Molded Potters Plaques, the extradorinary Zodiac Cup and Saucer Set, and other novelties.  Showcasing the already unique seasonal scene's excellence, Homer Laughlin must have used one of their most skilled artists to carve the reliefs for what would become their seasonal dish sets at the New York Worlds Fair from 1939-1940. The four piece ashtray set, embossed with the charming scenes of the seasons, would be dipped in their popular Vintage Fiesta solid color glazes of turquoise, green, red, ivory, yellow and blue. Advanced collectors of Homer Laughlin pottery will delight in adding these whimsical reliefs to their collections in their favorite colors and themes. These examples are nicely marked on the back "The American Potter, New York Worlds Fair, 1940, Joint Exhibit of Capital and Labor".