This is a nice grouping. This pottery line was a limited production due to labor intensity. Circa early 1980s.
Tag Archives: Nemadji Pottery
Visit Moose Lake: Home of Nemadji Pottery
A visit to the museum in Moose Lake, Minnesota offers a pleasant surprise for Nemadji Pottery collectors. The display features numerous pots and a file folder filled with tidbits about the pottery that got its start in Moose Lake. The nemadji pottery book is also available for purchase with proceeds going to a variety of museum projects.
I hope you will stop by.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Minnesota Pottery, Nemadji Indian Pottery, Nemadji Pottery
Support Local Art: Sell Your Nemadji Pottery
–Moose Lake, Minnesota
The Ohly Art Gallery is actively seeking to purchase private collections of Nemadji Pottery. If the time has come to find a new home for your collection consider contacting Judy Ohly at the Gallery. Judy’s email is Judyohly@gmail.com. The gallery’s phone number is 507-261-2223.
Opened in the summer of 2024, the Ohly Art Gallery offers a fine selection of Nemadji pottery to add to your collection as well as expanding the collections of a new generation of collectors. Here’s the exciting part. 20 percent of Nemadji sales go to support the gallery with the remainder going to support the community and the arts.
The gallery also features the creations of 13 diverse local artists offering a multitude of talents including Scandinavian painting on wood, fiber art, custom wood furniture, woodworking using recycled woods, ceramic art, gourd art, Zentangle. paintings in many mediums and artistic pieces from “Sparky” a glass kiln.
Hours are 10 am til 4 pm Thursday–Sunday and by appointment.
Bargains to be had
Recently I stopped in to Lakeside Traders in Moose Lake, Minnesota. (Full disclosure, I sell the duplicates from my collection there.) I love to check out the items offered by other sellers. Normally I do not buy new items for my collection, but one piece caught my eye. It was an unmarked
Nemadji birdhouse and it was priced at $2.00. How could I say no to that?
This is why I was first drawn to Nemadji pottery. Over the years the prices have climbed, but you can still find a gem at bargain basement prices if you are willing to keep your eyes open and know what to look for.
Garage sale season is nearly here. Study up on what you collect and enjoy the hunt!
Wow, a very hot Nemadji Pottery Collectors Weekend in Moose Lake, Minnesota
I wasn’t sure how Nemadji collectibles would sell this summer in Moose Lake. If this weekend is any indicator, I would have to say I’d better go through my collection and look for duplicates. In the past two days I have had to restock twice. It seems all styles, eras and colors are hot, hot, hot. The old red clay pieces made with clay dug from Nemadji Township were flying out the door. These pieces are from the 1950’s made in Moose Lake, Minnesota. Many of them are on their way to southern Minnesota to a new home. I would be interested to hear how the collecting and selling is doing in other parts of the country.
Selling my duplicates, this is hard!
As we move closer to retirement we are downsizing our household. For me that means selling some of my duplicate pieces of Nemadji Pottery collected over 35 years. This is hard. I remember the excitement of hunting and collecting each piece. Now it is time to share that pleasure with others. Nemadji collecting is still very strong, unlike other collectible pottery. I believe that is because the prices are within the range of new collectors who are just discovering this pottery made in Moose Lake and Kettle River Minnesota. If you are collecting, remember collect what you love. You may have it for awhile. I have enjoyed my collection….and it always gives me pleasure to see the pieces on display in my home. If you have questions….feel free to ask, I will do my best to share my info with you.
Happy Hunting.
Michelle
Country Living appraises Nemadji pot
Years ago, when I first started collecting Nemadji there was little information available. When the Internet developed my first couple of searches pulled up nothing about the Pottery. Today, you could spend a week, clicking and reading about the pottery made in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region.
Today I did a search and there were 64,400 mentions, including the one below.
Country Living Magazine’s collecting panel, Marsha Bemko of Antiques Roadshow, Marsha Dixey of Heritage Auctions, U.S. art and furniture expert Helaine Fendelman, and American Pickers host Mike Wolfe, appraise fine collectibles.
Follow the link below to their evaluation of a Nemadji Indian Pottery piece.
Country Living Magazine “what its worth?”
Posted in Nemadji
Tagged Minnesota Pottery, Nemadji Indian Pottery, Nemadji Pottery, Nemadji River
Scandinavian Children and The Myth of Nemadji
From time to time, we come across some very interesting descriptions of Nemadji pottery and its history.
From this point on, I will be sharing those we find. This one from Ebay conjures up tiny little Scandinavian children working their fingers to the bone, producing Nemadji Pottery. I also especially enjoy the Native American mention.
“Today, many people associate Nemadji Pottery with Native American crafts. This is not the case. Nemadji pottery was actually produced by children of Scandinavian immigrants. Nemadji Tile and Pottery started production in Moose Lake, Minnesota, in 1923. Originally producing Nemadji tile, Nemadji Pottery was produced during the Depression to fuel tourist markets, usually in the western and northeastern United States. The pottery was marketed as “resembling” ancient Indian works. This is when Nemadji pottery became known as “Indian” pottery. Nemadji Pottery was made using clays from the Nemadji River, thus the “Indian” name. Nemadji is a word from the Ojibwa, also known as Chippewa, language.
Nemadji Pottery is very distinctive in look. It is typified by its “swirled paint” look. This look was developed by Eric Hellman in 1929. Hellman went on to work for Van Briggle Pottery before World War II and opened the Garden of the Gods Pottery in Colorado Springs in 1950.”
Nemadji Collectors
While I was out and about today I ran into some Nemadji collectors. It’s always fun to hear about found bargains. It seems garage sales in the Moose Lake area still have lots of “gold” to mine. Dave and Jeanne told me about a great bargain they snapped up on a Nemadji Pottery lamp. Listening to their stories…it’s true the early bird catches the worm. The photos above include the old showroom sign used at the Nemadji Pottery plant in Kettle River. I purchased it when the plant closed its doors for good in 2002. The pottery plaque was created especially for me. I use it when I do my presentations about the history of Nemadji Pottery and Tile. It might just be the last piece of Nemadji to be created. I have also added a photo of the new art installation in Moose Lake, Minnesota. It represents the amazing history of our little town which is the gateway of the Arrowhead Region.
Garden of the Gods Pottery miniatures
I love my little Garden of the Gods pots by Eric Hellman. There are also a couple of small pieces of Nemadji. They display nicely.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Eric Hellman, Garden of the Gods pottery, Nemadji Pottery, tiny pots
Nemadji "Indian" Pottery 