Van Briggle Pottery

Considered the longest-running art pottery in the United States, Van Briggle Art Pottery was in operation for more than a century. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Van Briggle became a beacon of Art Nouveau design that still permeates pottery today.

Founded in 1901 by Artus Van Briggle, former designer for Rookwood Pottery, Van Briggle pieces soon made a name for themselves for their distinctive matte glazes, which gave their vessels an almost luminous quality. Innovations in glazing and design increased when Van Briggle married Anne Gregory in 1902, after which Anne devoted her career to crafting art pottery. Though Van Briggle died in 1904 after a bout with tuberculosis, Gregory carried on, continuing to create strikingly streamlined vessel designs that radiated beauty.

Though production ceased in 2012, the brilliance of Van Briggle's Art Nouveau aesthetic lives on in well-preserved pieces. The characteristic smooth, matte glaze that graces the streamlined form of all their pieces is immediately recognizable and continues to send collectors into a frenzy at auctions today.

Quick Facts

• Van Briggle's pieces were so immediately successful that they were featured in exhibitions around the globe, including the Parisian Salon (1903), the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904), and the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition (1905)
• Each Van Briggle piece’s mark is relatively unique because most were hand incised. One element that remains consistent across many pieces is the superimposed double "A," a lasting homage to founders Artus and Anne
• The Van Briggle studio was a veritable revolving door of some of the biggest figures in 20th century ceramic design, including Nellie Walker