Before all the fancy dishes and china patterns, every household had humble yellowware bowls. And they came in handy for everything from mixing batter to storing leftovers. While you might not think twice about using one of these bowls today, some antique yellow ware bowls can actually be quite valuable.
So we did a little digging to help you identify and determine the value of the yellow ware bowls. And our list of the 25 most valuable antique yellow ware bowls will surely surprise you!
Table of Contents
What is Yellow Ware? A Quick Recap
Yellow ware is a type of earthenware popular in 19th-20th century Europe & America. It gets its name from the yellowish color imparted by the lack of iron in the clay used to make it. The items were usually glazed with colorless acrylic, enhancing the natural yellow color.
Yellowware pottery started in Scotland and Northern England and eventually made its way to the United States in the 1820s. It remained popular for nearly a Century and naturally acquired various decorative and design features over time.
Yellowware fell out of favor in the late 20th Century when glass and china became more prevalent. But for pottery enthusiasts, it’s still a treasured find.
What Types of YellowWare Bowls Are Worth Collecting?
Although it’s nice to have an antique yellowware bowl in your collection, not all of them are going to be valuable. In fact, most yellowware bowls aren’t worth much.
A normal yellowware bowl in good condition costs about $20 to $50. Even a unique or rare bowl will only be worth a few hundred dollars at most.
The price depends on four factors:
- The condition of the bowl
- The size of the bowl
- The design of the bowl
- The age of the bowl
While the first three factors are pretty self-explanatory, the age of the bowl is a little more complicated. But how to determine the age of yellow ware bowls?
Well, there is no definite answer, but you can take help from some yellow ware bowls marks to narrow it down to a certain period. Here’s what you need to look for:
Manufacturing stamps
Most Yellow ware bowls from the late 80s and 90s come with back stamps, so it’s a bit easier to date them. But for the most part, the bowls were handmade and unmarked, so you’ll have to rely on other features.
Glaze
Early yellow ware bowls were typically glazed with a transparent medium to keep the originality of the yellow color. In the mid-1900s century, people started experimenting with white, green, blue, and even pink . If you see a bowl with these colors, it was most likely made after the 20th Century.
Decorations
Traditionally, yellow ware bowls are only decorated with colorful bands. The colors of these bands can somewhat help date the bowl. For example, until 1900, only brown and white colors were used for bands. Blue bands started appearing in the early 1900s, and pink became popular later in the Century.
Some rare earlier yellow ware bowls have hand-drawn or painted decorations. Those are the most valuable and hard to come by.
Bowl Shape
19th -century yellow ware bowls were typically round with a straight rim. And they usually don’t have a round foot; instead, these bowls have small ridges on the base to make them sit level.
20th-century manufacturers accepted more variety in bowl shapes. You’ll see bowls with extended rims and raised feet.
25 Most Valuable Antique Yellow Ware Bowls Worth Money
No |
Name |
Cost-USD |
1 |
Puebloan Jeddito Bowl from 13th Century |
4250 |
2 |
J.E. Jeffords & Co. Yellow ware Cable Mocha Bowl |
4000 |
3 |
A Set of Yellow ware Bowl and Colander |
1600 |
4 |
19th Century Yellow ware Bowl With Cat’s Eyes |
1325 |
5 |
Polychrome Handpainted Yellowware Bowl by Rondina Huma |
950 |
6 |
14 Band Yellowware Bowl |
725 |
7 |
Yellowware Mixing Bowl Seaweed Decoration |
700 |
8 |
Two Jeddito Yellow are Bowls |
600 |
9 |
Miniature Yellowware Salt Bowl With Lid |
600 |
10 |
Primitive Large Yellowaware Bowl |
575 |
11 |
Gothic Style Vintage Yellowware Sugar Bowl |
535 |
12 |
Yellow ware Sugar Bowl With Lid |
500 |
13 |
Yellowware Bowl With Floral Mocha Design |
500 |
14 |
Unique Hand Drawn Yellowware Mixing Bowl |
475 |
15 |
Rare Floral, Splatter Glazed Yellowware Bowl By Rockingham |
450 |
16 |
Set of Four Lilac Lavender Yellowware Bowls |
400 |
17 |
Floral Molded Bowl By Jeffords Pottery |
400 |
18 |
Yellow ware Sugar Bowl With Seaweed Pattern |
325 |
19 |
Green Ringed Yellowware Bowl by McCoy |
260 |
20 |
Yellowware Sponge Splatter Bowl |
200 |
21 |
Fluted Style Vintage Yellowware Bowl |
195 |
22 |
Antique Yelloware Stainer Bowl |
194 |
23 |
Set of Cobalt Blue Yellowware bowls |
185 |
24 |
Set of two Spongeware Yellowware Mixing Bowls |
179 |
25 |
Green Checkerboard Mixing Bowl by McCoy |
140 |
Now that you know how to identify a valuable yellowware bowl, let’s take a look at some of the most valuable ones:
1- Puebloan Jeddito Bowl from 13th Century
Starting our list is this Native American yellowware bowl from the 13th Century. It’s an Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) Jeddito bowl that was produced in the Hopi Mesas, Arizona. The bowl is not in its original form; instead, it has been professionally repaired and restored using parts from many different bowls.
The Jeddito pottery is known for its fine form, deep golden tones, and geometric designs. This particular bowl features an abstract bird motif painted on the base. Although the original colors have faded to a beige-white, the bowl still retains a golden glow near the rims.
The bowl came with thermoluminescence (TL) analysis report to confirm its age and authenticity. It also has a custom stand.
Although there are visible brake lines, losses, and chips, the bowl’s value comes from its age and rarity. This rare yellowware bowl sold for $4250.
2- J.E. Jeffords & Co. Yellow ware Cable Mocha Bowl
Dating back to 1860, this antique yellow ware bowl was made by J.E. Jeffords & Co. The company ran from 1850-1901 and was known for the precision and artistry of its ceramics. In fact, many of their items are now in museums.
This particular bowl is 11 ¾” in diameter by 5 ¼” in height and has an extended round rim and a rounded foot – characteristic features of 19th-century yellowware. The bowl has four white bands nicely glazed around the complex mocha design. The bowl rings when you tap it – another sign of quality.
It’s an extremely rare bowl since only two were produced, and this one is in mint condition. It’s obvious that the bowl was well cared for over the years. The seller has listed the bowl for $4000.
3- A Set of Yellow ware Bowl and Colander
This set of yellow ware bowls and yellow ware colander comes from an estate in East Liverpool. The 19th-century pieces have a beautiful finger-painted brown design with white bands. The bowl has two cracks – one in the base and one in the rim.
The colander has multiple white and brown bands and an intricate white pattern in the form of leaves. There is a rim-to-rim crack and chips in the base. Despite the damages, the set sold for $1600 in March 2022.
4- 19th Century Yellow ware Bowl With Cat’s Eyes
This 19th-century yellowware bowl has a classic mustard yellow shade and four brown bands. The unique feature is 15 cat’s eyes painted around the mid-section of the bowl. There is no marking, but the bowl is believed to be from the Bennett pottery company in Baltimore. The company operated until 1936.
It’s a 10 ¼” x 4 ¾” bowl with a rounded rim and foot. The seller mentioned it has a slight glaze loss over three cats’ eyes, but the bowl is otherwise in mint condition. It’s considered rare since few items survive. The seller has listed the bowl for $1325.
5- Polychrome Handpainted Yellowware Bowl by Rondina Huma
This polychrome, hand-painted yellowware bowl was designed and created by the Native American artist Rondina Huma. She belongs to the Tewa Kachina Clan and is self-taught in Hopi Pottery style. Which means she does every step of the process in the traditional way.
This bowl measures 5″ x 7.5″ and is covered in black and red traditional Hopi designs with intricate line work. The artist, Rondina Huma, signed the bowl, and it is in good condition. Biddle Auction Gallery sold the piece for $950 in 2021.
6- 14-Band Yellowware Bowl
Another yellowware bowl by J.E. Jeffords & Co from the 19th Century. This one is in a classic yellow color with a round rim and bending base, which is unique to Jeffords. The bowl has 12 thin white bands equally separated from each other and two brown bands at the top and bottom.
The glaze for bands is thick, so you can actually feel the raised bands when you run your hand over the bowl. It measures 10 ¾” x 5″ and is in mint condition. This bowl is considered rare and would be a great addition to any collection. The seller has this listed for $725.
7- Yellowware Mixing Bowl Seaweed Decoration
This is a classic yellowware mixing bowl with a light yellow glaze. A wide white center band is accented by a green seaweed design. And the artist has painted two brown bands above and below the white band.
Overall, it’s a simple yet beautiful bowl with all the elements of a perfect yellow ware. Apart from some minor scuffs, the bowl is in good condition. It was sold for $700.
8- Two Jeddito Yellow are Bowls
Another set of ancient traditional yellowware Jeddito bowls dating back to 1200 – 1300 AD. True to the Jeddito style, these bowls have black abstract line patterns as decoration. You can also see three straight lines painted outside the rim of the smaller bowl.
These bowls were part of a collector from New Mexico. The bigger bowl has been restored from fragments, and you can see the broken lines and parts. The smaller bowl has a big rim-to-rim crack but is considered stable. This set was sold for $600 in an auction.
9- Miniature Yellowware Salt Bowl With Lid
This unique piece is a salt bowl, probably from the early 1800s, but it’s unmarked. The pot is small, measures only 2 1/4″ x 2 7/8″, and the handle is 3 1/2″ long. It comes with a lid with the same wide white band and blue seaweed pattern as the bowl. The white band on the pot has lightened, but the pattern on the lid is still vibrant.
Overall the piece is in great condition; just the lid has a few small chops. But it seems the chips were made during the firing process since the glaze is the same color. This is a great piece for any collection and was sold for $600.
10- Primitive Large Yellowaware Bowl
This classic early-era bowl is not marked but has every characteristic of early American pottery from 1830 to 1840. It’s simple, hand thrown, have no rim and no foot; the base has ridges to prevent moisture buildup.
It’s a big bowl, measuring 14″ x 4″, and this size yellowware bowls are really difficult to come by. There’s a small hairline crack, but it doesn’t take away from the beauty of this piece. It’s listed for $575 on Etsy.
11- Gothic Style Vintage Yellowware Sugar Bowl
One of the most spectacular bowls on our list, this sugar bowl is designed in Gothic style. The bowl is created by joining by joining two parts molded separately, and the lid is from a single mold. Both the pieces have raised designs. The lid has reliefs, while the bowl has molded arches all around.
The bowl measures 5 ½” x 5 ¼”, and it’s in mint condition. The seller has it listed for $535. Combined with the rare and remarkable design, the value is justified.
12- Yellow ware Sugar Bowl With Lid
This is a small, 4-inch sugar bowl with a beautifully curved lid. It’s unmarked, but it’s most likely from the early 20th Century. What makes this piece unique is the red seaweed mocha decoration. Small hairline chips are all over the pot, but it’s in great condition considering its age. It was sold for $500.
A similar sugar pot with blue mocha decoration from the late 18th Century was sold by a collector from Ohio for $550.
13- Yellowware Bowl With Floral Mocha Design
The unique thing about this bowl is the artistic seaweed mocha design in floral patterns. You can also see a wide white strip going around the bowl. Two motifs are painted on the white strip all around the bowl.
The extended rims and rounded foot indicate it’s from the 20th Century. The bowl is well-loved, there is some staining, hairline chips, and glaze loss, but everything is according to age. This piece was sold for $500.
14- Unique Hand Drawn Yellowware Mixing Bowl
This one is another unique yellowware mixing bowl from the late 19th Century. It also has extended rims and round feet, but the unique feature is the earthworm design printed all around the bowl. Instead of dripping mocha color, the artist used their finger to make the print.
The bowl also has two green and eight white bands going around. It’s a good-sized bowl, measuring 13″ x 5 3/4″. It’s in good condition considering its age, with only a few chips on the bottom and a hairline crack on the rim. It was sold for $475.
15- Rare Floral, Splatter Glazed Yellowware Bowl By Rockingham
This art piece is an original antique by Rockingham Pottery. This bowl was created somewhere between 1800-1849 in the UK. It was the time when Rockingham was producing pottery for royalty and aristocracy. It’s a molded item, made by joining different pieces. It’s decorated with classic floral patterns and beading, further enhanced with brown splatter before glazing. The lid has a raised arch in the center and four holes for ventilation.
This mint-condition bowl is listed for $450.
16- Set of Four Lilac Lavender Yellowware Bowls
This set includes four nesting yellowware bowls covered with beautiful lavender glaze. The biggest bowl measures 8 1/2″ x 4 3/8″, while the smallest one is 5 3/8″ x 2 5/8″. The bowls have a simple design with no decoration, but the color is enough to make them stand out.
The rims are not covered, so you can see the original yellow clay, which gives them a unique look. The bowls are from the mid-1900s and in good condition, with only a few small blemishes here and there. The set was sold for $400.
17- Floral Molded Bowl By Jeffords Pottery
A beautiful example of early American molded pottery, this bowl is decorated with arch patterns and ornamental acanthus leaves. The attention to detail and fine quality of the piece is evident in every aspect, from the decoration to the molding. The Jeffords Pottery was known for its high quality, and this bowl is no exception.
The bowl measures 8″ x 3 ½” and is part of the acanthus-decorated yellowware line. This rare piece is listed for $400.
18- Yellow ware Sugar Bowl With Seaweed Pattern
This simple, hand-thrown sugar bowl with a lid is a classic example of yellow ware items. The bowl is 3″ x 3/4″ with straight edges. The lid and bowl have classic mocha seaweed drawn on a white band with contrasting brown lines accenting it.
The sugar bowl has a small nip on the rim, but it is otherwise in good condition. It sold for $325 at auction.
19- Green Ringed Yellowware Bowl by McCoy
Another unique piece of early American pottery. This yellowware bowl is by Nelson McCoy, one of the most collected American pottery brands of all time. The bowl is yellowware, but it is glazed with a moss-green color. The wide ridge has white dots and a wave pattern, while the lower parts are in the form of molded ribs, also called rings.
The colors vary from light green to dark moss shade near the edges. The top of the rim is unglazed, so you can see the original yellow color of the clay. It sold for $260.
20- Yellowware Sponge Splatter Bowl
This medium size yellowware bowl is a little different from the others. It has molded ribs all around the bowl and is covered in a green and yellow spongeware pattern. The pattern is created by dipping a sponge in the glaze and then onto the piece.
The seller didn’t mention who made it and when, but it is probably from American pottery from the early 20th Century. Overall the glaze is in great condition, and there is only a small chip on the edge. It is listed for $200.
21- Fluted Style Vintage Yellowware Bowl
This rare yellowware bowl is 9 ¼” x 5″ with a wide rim and narrow base. The rim has a molded diamond design, while the sides are fluted and curved. It has green glazing but is very thin, so you can only see a green hue. The bowl is unmarked, so we don’t know the maker, but the high-quality molding indicates it’s probably from the 1920s.
The bowl is in mint condition and sold for $195.
22- Antique Yelloware Stainer Bowl
,Here we have this antique yellowware stainer bowl from the mid-1800s. It’s a typical colander with holes in the sides and a base used to stain rice or vegetables. The bowl has a thin brown glaze on the inside.
It measures 9″ x 5″, is fairly big, and in great condition without any chips or cracks. It sold for $194.
23- Set of Cobalt Blue Yellowware bowls
This is a set of three cobalt blue nesting bowls by Roseville Pottery Co. This particular design is called Blue Venetian, and it was introduced in the 1940s. All three are heavy bowls with wide bodies. The rims are decorated with a picket fence pattern, and the lower part of the bowl has a honeycomb design. There is no foot base; each bowl sits on eight small ridges on the bottom.
The largest bowl measures 11″ x 3.25,” and the smallest is 7″ x 2.5″. All three have minor chips, but they are in good condition for their age—the set sold for $185.
24- Set of two Spongeware Yellowware Mixing Bowls
This is a set of two spongeware or yellowware mixing bowls. They are 4 1/2″ and 5 1/2″ tall; each has a stamp on the bottom indicating the manufacturer Robinson Ransbottom Pottery Company. These should be from the 1930s or 1940s.
The outside of each bowl is decorated with a grey and black sponge pattern. The inside is a plain transparent glaze showing the nice yellow shade of the clay. Both bowls are in mint condition and listed for $179.
25- Green Checkerboard Mixing Bowl by McCoy
At the end of our list is this medium size mixing bowl by McCoy Pottery Co, from the 1920s. It is glazed green both on the inside and outside. But the glaze is thin, so the nice yellow shade of the clay still shows through. The outside is decorated with a checkerboard molding all around the bowl.
The bowl measures 7 1/4″ x 4,” and is in good condition except for one small chip on the rim border. It sold for $140.
Conclusion
Whether you’d like to serve fruits in a vintage yellowware bowl or want a hand-decorated mixing bowl to display, there are plenty of beautiful and collectible pieces to choose from. And since they don’t cost a lot, you can have fun collecting yellowware without breaking the bank.
We hope this list of the 25 most valuable antique yellow ware bowls has helped you find the perfect piece for your collection.
![Where To Sell Antique Furniture In 2022 [Ultimate Guide]](https://www.jacquelinestallone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Your-Place-To-Buy-And-Sell-All-Things-Handmade-600x450.jpg)
