Crown Ceramics, a little-known company
Crown Ceramics, a little-known Vancouver company from the 1950s
Finding information on some Canadian pottery manufacturers can be intriguing and frustrating. Snippets of information here and there will sometimes be all that can be found for details. Such is the case with this mid-century British Columbia pottery.
History: Crown Ceramics is mentioned in the Clay and Shale Deposits of British Columbia, Bulletin No. 30, written in 1952 for the British Columbia Department of Mines, as being active during the 1950s, and that they manufactured ceramics on a small scale in Vancouver. Most resources state that Crown Ceramics operated from 1945-1957. Little more is known about the history of this Canadian ceramics (pottery) manufacturer.
Additional info: Crown Ceramics was located at 523 West 7th Avenue at Cambie Street., Vancouver, BC.
Glaze colours: yellow-green high gloss, butter yellow matte, yellow high gloss, turquoise high gloss, turquoise speckled gloss, turquoise to darker mottled grey, dark turquoise to light turquoise gloss, aqua with blue trim, dark green high gloss, lime green high gloss, burgundy high gloss, black high gloss, black matte, light pink high gloss, light pink mottled high gloss, dark pink high gloss, grey high gloss, light grey to dark grey high gloss, and more.
Shapes: Examples of the mid-century modern shapes produced by Crown Ceramics can be found on two well-known websites, The Canadian Design Resource and the Museum of Vancouver (Keyword search: Crown Ceramics).
- Cone Vase (1955)
- Crown striped vase (1957)
- Candlesticks #325-D
- Pinched bowl (1957) – green, also in turquoise
- Crown vase (1957)
- Leaf vase / planter #401
- Leaf dish #122
- and more…
NOTE: A CC 12″ vase has some similarity to a BMP vase mould designed by Dennis Tupy in the 1950’s (the CDR)
Identifying marks:
- Crown Ceramics, Vancouver, BC (circular design) lll (center of the base)
- 3-digit mold #
- marked with both impressions & labels
Hi, lady head vase labeled crown ceramics 1927. Is that the same company? Thank you
Ang, your Crown Ceramics 1927 lady head vase, most likely from the 1950s, is NOT by the Canadian Crown Ceramics company of Vancouver, BC. This is a case where company names are very similar, but the mark tells the real story. Maria
Hi there, I have a Crown Ceramics Leaf Vase #402. I would very much like to know more about it.
There is very little information on this pottery. I’m looking for more info all of the time. At the moment, all the info I have on Crown Ceramics is up on this site now. You have a lovely vase. It appears as if Crown Ceramics liked rectangular shapes, as well as other interesting shapes. A photo of this vase, in green, is listed on the Open MOV, dated 1955-67. Check this out: MOV Crown Ceramics Leaf Vase / Planter #401 Maria.
gosh i feel lucky to have it then.
Hi Maria
Thank you very much for your e-mail. Yes, it is a beautiful piece, quite delicate too.
Just found this piece. I live near Canadian border and this piece is so lovely and really I think in mint condition. What can you tell me plz?
Marilyn, this is a really interesting piece. I believe it is a console bowl with candlestick holders. Taper candles fit nicely on each end of the bowl. Produced from 1945-67, this console bowl was used as a centerpiece – it held an arrangement of flowers or fruits on a table or on a side table. A round flower frog, glass or ceramic, can be placed in the center to hold water and flowers (cut stems very short). These console bowls were no longer fashionable after the late 1950s, but collectors of vintage and Mid-Century Modern designs would be interested in this piece.
Thank you for getting in touch – I would love to add your photo to our photo gallery for Crown Ceramics. Maria.
yes please do use pic. i do love this but i dont have a grand house with big spaces so it sits on a shelf in my basement ) :
Hi,
I am not sure if this is the Crown Ceramics you are describing in your post.
Are you able to confirm?
Regards, Ellenor.
Hi Ellenor. I’m sorry but I cannot tell from the pic if this piece is a Crown Ceramics piece. It is not a pattern I’m familiar with. Thank you for your interest, Maria
Ellenor provided a photo of the mark for the above piece. Now that I see the mark, I’m pretty sure it is not Canadian, but more likely British. More research will need to be done to identify this piece from the mark.
Maria
I have received a long leave style dish, Crown Ceramics-Vancouver BC 121
Just wanting feed back
Dawn, it would be great if you could post a few pics of your leaf dish for information purposes, if you don’t mind uploading it. I can’t really say much until I see the dish, so a front shot and a shot of the mark or label would help. In this way, other viewers can leave feedback as well. Maria.