Before Blue Ridge became a household name among American pottery collectors, there was Clinchfield — and this piece dates to the company's founding years.
Maker: Southern Potteries Inc. (Clinchfield China)
Materials: Ceramic with platinum accents
Dimensions: 10" long (handle to handle) × approx. 8" wide × 5" tall including lid
Origin: Erwin, Tennessee, USA
Era: Antique, 1920–1926 (marked 1-26)
Condition: Very good antique condition — no chips or scratches; crazing throughout and a few light stains consistent with age; very fine crack on lid finial (photographed). Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.
The pattern is intentionally unadorned — early Clinchfield patterns were designed for apprentice potters learning their craft — with embossed form and clean white ceramic as the statement. The backstamp reads “Clinchfield China SPI” and is marked 1-26, which we believe indicates 1926.
A striking display piece for a china cabinet, or use it as a genuinely functional vegetable server for a special occasion table.
Clinchfield Ware began around 1916, chartered as Southern Potteries Incorporated in 1920, and by 1932–33 had introduced the now-famous Blue Ridge stamp. A piece with the SPI mark — before Blue Ridge — is a genuine rarity. The company's letterhead once read: “Clinchfield on China is like Sterling on Silver.”
A prized addition to a Clinchfield or Blue Ridge Pottery collection. Hand washing essential.
