Teco, W.B. Mundie (1863-1939), designer
large four-handled gourd vase / lamp base, #287A
Chicago, Illinois
matte green glazed ceramic
four impressed marks
10 1/4"sq x 12 3/8"h

Professional restoration to 4" of rim. Glaze skip to one handle. Professional restoration to drilled hole at center of base, for previous use as a lamp.

Biography: In 1881, lawyer William Day Gates founded the American Terra Cotta Tile and Ceramic Company in Terra Cotta, Illinois, close to Crystal Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. Along with producing the first architectural terra cotta in America, especially for Prairie School building projects — Frank Lloyd Wright was a customer — Gates also produced various clays and glazes for art pottery. Teco, a contraction of ‘Terra Cotta,’ soon became synonymous with excellence in decorative design. Gates was originally inspired by the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which began in Britain in the late 19th century. Reacting against increasing mechanization, Arts and Crafts thinkers such as John Ruskin and William Morris championed handcrafted production using the highest quality materials. Although Teco pottery comes in a range of colors, the matte green glaze is the most distinctive and prized of all. Gates eventually turned over control of the company to his son Major. During the Great Depression, there was little demand for architectural terra cotta and Teco pottery. In 1934, George A. Berry Jr. bought the company to focus solely on generating construction elements. William Gates died the following year, but Prairie School terra cotta and Arts and Crafts pottery continue to capture the imagination of ceramic enthusiasts. Pottery makers and collectors alike still cherish Teco for its vibrant colors, rich glazes, and purity of both sculptural and organic design. In addition to making art pottery himself, William Gates employed several skilled designers, including Harald Hals, Fritz Albert, W.B. Mundie, Fernand Moreau, and others, to create innovative forms.