The Early Two Toned Glazes
1949
In 1949 Frankoma offered for the first time a line of two-toned glazes. The items did not appear in the 1949 catalog nor were they offered in subsequent years. A simple price list flyer included in the 1949 catalog presented the items. Complicated glazing patterns simply were not a part of the Frankoma style at least until they presented the new double-fired flame glaze in 1964.
For this offering all of the items featured onyx exterior glazing. The price sheet lists two different glazes for the interiors. The first is a light green presented in the price list as "Jade Green" and a bright blue "Turquoise". These are important glaze selections.
The literature lists Jade Green as being last used in 1938. The replacement glaze, used during the 1940's is Silver Sage, a slightly lighter glaze. But here we see Frankoma using a Norman glaze in 1949. The Turquoise glaze is a bright and sharp blue, very much like the native gem color. Glazing labeled turquoise from the early 1940's does not have this depth of color. Frankoma dropped this glaze in 1952 when the Korean War made the necessary ingredients impossible to obtain. They did not have a good turquoise again until the late 1950's in the brick red clay period.
The list features 23 items, mostly Plainsman dinnerware issues and large containers and vases. I have found several unlisted items with two-toned glazes and expect that several more exist. I think Frankoma made all of the items in both glazes. I have found it difficult if not impossible to find the really big pieces that Frankoma listed in the 1949 price sheet.
Also I now know (7/2014) that experimental pieces with different glazes exist. From the Clegg collection I have photos of two additional glaze combinations. The first is a 205 low Oriental bowl glazed onyx on the exterior and red bud on the interior. The second is a 200 11' flower bowl glazed onyx on the exterior and prairie green on the interior. These are perhaps unique examples that John Frank made while developing the new line.Frankoma never offered this line again. One presumes that it did not sell and so was immediately dropped. While the lack of success was bad news for Frankoma then it makes for an interesting and challenging project for collectors now.
