This set is from the Ransburg Company’s “Red Aster” pattern, used on their popular stoneware from 1930 – 1960. Each piece was hand painted by a well trained decorator, at a time when most companies were exploring cutting quality for cost, Harper Ransburg invested time and money into training professionals that makes Ransburg quality unmatched with any of it’s contemporaries.
Harper J. Ransburg’s story is a testament to the American entrepreneurial system. He was born in Indiana in 1886, the son of German Quaker farmers. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade to help support his family. It seems he could have gone on to be a Professor in marketing at an Ivy-League school. He was one of the first to market items as "sets" rather than individual pieces, so in a way he is to thank for your cell phone “bundling” package! He also threw in free stuff such as selling cookie jars full of cookies. Ransburg figured out the importance of "cross-selling," and put it to good use. Ransburg developed a highly successful business with a range of product lines.
Instead of the college route, he founded a glass cutting business in Toledo, OH, and with a gamble on a loan, he moved operations to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1912. There, in short order he launched a multi-million dollar household products company, that at it’s peak was selling 250,000 hand painted cookie jars per year.
Ransburg products reflect pride and craftsmanship. The company had a large range of products made from all sorts of material, glass to metal, plastic to pottery, each one now drawing in collectors. There are some great books on this company, check the Amazon links below.
What about this stuff on Amazon?
Salt & Pepper shakers
1. That isn't Ransburg at all. Having a sticker means nothing. I've seen many try to pass off such pottery over decades.
ReplyDelete2. Those are not even asters.
I have been a collector of "all things" Ransburg for many decades. I buy and sell. I have sold MANY pieces back into the Ransburg family over the years.
You can easily find and contact them and they will inform you of the same.
I have excellent documentation on all 'flower' designs created by Ransburg. Your piece is not one of them.
I am able to see the design as 'mass produced' and not the very familiar 'hand painted' strokes and designs of real Ransburg lore.