The first sale each year for Garth’s Auctions in Delaware, Ohio, tends to be not only a mixed affair but also a mouthful. Described by the company as offering “American Antiques and European & Asian Furniture & Decorative Arts,” the January 14 event included all the above, but the day belonged largely to the American side of things. That’s not surprising, considering that country antiques and Americana are still the company’s strong suit. Even so, the top lot of the day wasn’

Tackling the field of pottery collecting in a two-page article is akin to filling a pool with a teacup. As broad a category as any, pottery generally refers to any object shaped from clay and dried (or fired) to fix the form. Humans have been creating functional (and functionally beautiful) pottery objects for over 13,000 years, and while methods and materials have largely remained the same, design, style and form has changed dramatically across cultures and generations. A re