Lois Forrest, now a resident, former Medford Leas' Executive Director, started collecting the beautiful antique vases called Art Pottery, presently shown in the Display Case, some 60 years ago. An entire wall in her home holds her collection of more than a hundred pieces. Asked how she became interested in collecting the vases, she replied that she has always liked pottery. She bought some of the pieces in antique fairs and antique shops, and many were gifts from family members.

These ceramic vases were made by the Roseville Pottery Company in Ohio in the early 20th century. Company designers would decide each year on a theme inspired by nature, and the pieces produced that year would reflect that theme. If the theme was Daffodils, they would be pictured on all that year’s pottery. These vases are valued for their beauty rather than for their utility.

I particularly liked the turquoise teapot, decorated with a gardenia, displayed on the bottom shelf of the section of the Display Case on the right. A matching sugar pot can be seen on the second shelf of the section on the left and a matching creamer can be found on the top shelf in the section on the right.