c. 1933–1934
Original first test piece of the Frank Potteries [partly obscured]
FRANK POTTERIES and the experimental wording identify this early specimen.
written · earthenware · Oklahoma, United States
Pottery & porcelain
Frankoma marks
The name “FRANKOMA” appears among Frankoma marks on earthenware from Oklahoma, United States. Its mark period is 1935–1938.
- Active years
- From 1933
- Country
- United States
- Products
- dinnerware, vases, sculpture, commemorative plates, political mugs, planters
- Marks
- 5
Founded as Frank Potteries in 1933, renamed Frankoma 1934. Later ownership changes and interruptions are separate from the continuing brand.
What to look for
- Compare the full pictorial cat-and-pot device with the broken-cat stamp, which retains the name and lower pot line but lacks the upper picture.
- Inspect exposed clay as well as the stamp: pale Ada clay and redder Sapulpa clay belong to different production phases.
- A year on a commemorative piece dates that example. A mould number such as 40A identifies a shape rather than a production year.
Dated marks & timeline
5 marks
c. 1934–1938
FRANKOMA [faint]; additional handwritten JOE TAYLOR
Upper pictorial device survives, unlike the broken-cat version; additional handwriting is not taken as the writer’s own signature.
impressed · earthenware · Oklahoma, United States
1935–1938
FRANKOMA
Missing upper picture and surviving lower pot line distinguish the broken-cat die.
impressed · earthenware · Oklahoma, United States
1968
FRANKOMA / © FP · 1968 / John Frank
The moulded 1968 date and facsimile signature distinguish this collector plate from ordinary production marks.
moulded · earthenware · Oklahoma, United States
Undated
FRANKOMA / 40A
Arched name and separate 40A identify this layout; the code names a shape, not a year.
impressed · earthenware · Oklahoma, United States
About Frankoma
John Frank established Frank Potteries at Norman, Oklahoma, in 1933 while teaching ceramics at the University of Oklahoma. The business was incorporated as Frankoma in 1934, combining the family name with the ending of Oklahoma. Frank left teaching to work full time at the pottery in 1936.
The factory moved to Sapulpa in 1938 and was rebuilt after a fire that year. Early production used pale clay brought from Ada. During the mid-1950s, a local Sapulpa clay became the main body, giving wares a redder appearance and altering the effect of familiar glazes. Dinnerware, vases, sculpture and commemorative wares all formed part of the range. Prairie Green and Desert Gold became particularly associated with its regional character.
John Frank died in 1973, after which his daughter Joniece continued the business. Later owners maintained and revived production through several changes and interruptions. The Frankoma name remains in use in Oklahoma, with the current business based at Glenpool. The long history includes both ordinary production stamps and special inscriptions or dated collector-piece marks, which need to be distinguished when comparing a base.
Also known as: Frank Potteries · Frankoma Potteries · Frankoma Industries · Frankoma Pottery
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Other Oklahoma art potteries
Earth-coloured glazes alone are insufficient. Match FRANKOMA or FRANK POTTERIES wording and the complete base device.
Ordinary Frankoma production versus commemorative pieces
A moulded John Frank signature on a dated plate is part of that collector-piece design. It is different from a personal incised dedication or autograph.