Vintage 1940's - Shawnee Pottery - Smiley Pig, Piggy Bank, Razor Bank- Red Trim

Vintage Shawnee Pottery Smiley Pig, Piggy Bank, Razor Bank, , Cold Painted in Zanesville, Ohio, USA, Circa 1940 - An example of the early Shawnee Pottery produced between 1937 and 1940. The Shawnee Piggy Bank was also known as a Razor bank. These were available in the American Five and Dime Stores. These pieces were cold painted, meaning they were hand painted after being glazed. Although a cost saving method of production, the technique resulted in paint which easily wore off.
Shawnee Pottery was founded in 1937 in Zanesville Ohio USA and operated until 1961. Original production was primarily decorative items found in five and dime stores such as Woolworth's or S.S. Kresge's. They also produced a line of dinnerware for Sears and Roebuck known as Valencia exclusively for their stores. During WWII production was halted and switched to the war effort and it made up 90% of their business. Unfortunately Shawnee Pottery was not able to recover after the war as American tastes began to chang