Pottery USA Vase with Serpent/Dolphin Handles

Hello everyone! I feel I should know this one but I keep coming up blank. It stands 9 1/4" tall and 4 1/2" across the opening. I believe the numbers read 223. Any direction would be appreciated. Thanks! Don

 

That's certainly a strange critter. Seahorse tail, little paws and face mashed against the vase. No clue.

 

Are there saw marks on the dry foot ring?

 

Nope, sorry UncleChuckTX, nothing on the dry foot ring.

 

Ah, OK - I couldn't tell from the pic of the bottom. Saw marks usually point towards Camark, and Camark does have a USA mark with periods between the letters.

For what it's worth - even if not Camark, maybe they'll jog someone else's memory:

Camark "saw marks" - 4th section from the bottom, "Other Identifiers":
http://www.cajunc.com/art-american-pottery

Camark "U.S.A." mark with numbers - see #16:
http://www.arkansaspottery.com/marks.html

I know there are a couple of other potteries who used periods between the USA letters. I just can't find my notes on which potteries they were...

 

Does it look older to you?

I'm not a pottery person.

To me it looks new. The color particularly. "U" looks like a "J". No face on the critter. The way the feet are. "Asian" theme for the 1930's 40's even 50's I think would have been more detailed. The base looks like red clay not cream. The shape.

Only speculation from a picture. I don't have it in hand and I could be way off base.

 

Thanks for checking UncleChuckTX! There are indeed saw marks on the ring. They are light but they are definitely there. I checked my Camark book but couldn't come up with a match either for the shape or glaze. The ring person called it as Brush but he's wrong more than he's right. I checked my Brush books anyway but couldn't turn it up.
Hi cluttered - the base is definitely off-white - no traces of red. It really does look like a USA mark. I know it can be terribly frustrating to not be able to a hands-on exam. And between my phone and my occasional tremors it can be tough for me to get a super accurate picture.
Don

 

Well - it looks like I owe an apology to my ring person. I just found a very similar vase on pg. 57 of the Huxford's "The Collector's Encyclopedia of Brush McCoy." According to the book it's Vase 9", Shape #22. Normally I use Sandford's books and almost forgot I had Huxford available too. Not sure where the "3" fits in but it sure looks like the shape and vase next to it looks like the glaze. Thank you everyone for your help.
Don

 

As I said, I could be way off base. Obviously I was.

Did Huxford give a year when made?

 

Hi Cluttered - Unfortunately Huxford does not list a date. Once I had the lead I went back to Sanford and also found it there - numbered 223 - but again without a date. Both books show it only in a brown onyx glaze. Brush started the onyx glaze around the 1930's and produced some pieces in that glaze almost until it closed. Brush also had a habit of pulling out old molds and covering them in new glazes. I have never seen an old piece of onyx with anything but a number on the bottom. The addition of the U.S.A. mark and that particular blended glaze leads me to believe this was probably a mid-century production. But now I'm the one who's guessing .
Don

 

Looks like a seal to me?

 

Thanks Don.