Ohio Finds: Zoar Flowerpot

Spring flowers will be here before we know it, and they would look beautiful in this Zoar flowerpot. Stamped with the word “Zoar,” as well as a small flower or star and decorative band around the rim, it is a rare example of Zoar Society pottery from the 1840s.

Founded in Tuscarawas County in 1817 by German Separatists seeking religious freedom, Zoar grew into one of the most successful communal settlements in the United States. It was highly self-sufficient, producing much of what its residents needed within the village. Pottery was essential to daily life and was sold to neighbors outside the community. 

The identity of the potter who made this flowerpot is unknown, which is typical of Zoar material culture as individual makers were rarely documented.

Pottery production occurred in Zoar between approximately 1836 and 1841, making this flowerpot a rare survivor. After that period, the community relied more on wares that were likely transported via the Ohio & Erie Canal. As a result, only a small handful of marked Zoar pottery pieces are known today. This one sold in August 2025. 

Sold: $5,900

Hollie Davis is a co-owner of Meander Auctions in Whipple, Ohio.  meanderauctions.com

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