 In 1934, Libby approached the Homer Laughlin China Company on making a special item in the then new OvenServe body.
Stuck in designer Frederick Rhead's journals was this sketch of a pig bean pot along with a note dated May 24, 1934 (not in Rhead's handwriting): "Bean pot individual or family size. Design copyrighted - not to be copied, manufactured or used unless permission given by Libby, McNeil & Libby."
The sketch is of the "family size" bean pot. While there is no record of the larger size being modeled, at least two smaller individual sizes were made.
The first pot (model number 235) was a round version modeled in the beginning of June 1934. After samples were made and reviewed, the following revisions were recommended on June 20, 1934:
- More oval in shape
- Same height as now
- About same capacity, slightly larger OK
- More pronounced legs and features
- Libby's OvenServe HLC [marking]
- Two orange, three ivory
- Outline in black. Features - legs and tail are orange and ivory
- Outline in red and ivory
The second pot (model number 241) was made at the end of June. On July 7, the oval Libby pig bean pot samples were made with the decorative trims listed above and in OvenServe glazes; ivory, melon yellow, and orange (pumpkin).
Rhead never mentioned any more revisions to the pig bean pot and made no notes about it being released into production.
Only two examples of individual bean pots have been found. Shown below, they measure roughly 4 3/4" from nose to tail, 3 3/4" wide, and almost 2" tall.
|
