The McCoy dog feeders in these photos are the focus of this story.
I will look at different shapes, sizes, marks and approximate dates these
feeders were produced. In the later photo are four dog feeders which are
not McCoy - which I will help to identify. After researching many pottery
books, McCoy and Watt were the documented leaders in supplying our pets,
feeders.
The most common dog feeder, at
least the one most easily found, is the feeder which is embossed "To
Man's Best Friend His Dog". The photo has four of Man's Best
Friend feeders, and all are different in other ways. Number 2 and 3, made
in the late 30's, are the oldest Man's Best Friend pictured. The
color of clay which shows on the dry rings is darker on these; the top rim
is a deep lipped ridge. (A dry ring is the unglazed bottom outer edge surrounding
the glazed center of the bottom. The dry ring is the edge on which the piece
rests during firing.) The top ridge varies from wide and rounded on #2 to
flat and sharper on #3. These feeders are typically marked "McCoy Made
in USA". One exception I know of is #2 in the photo. It is unmarked.
Sizes differ between #2 and #3. Number 2, the oldest (this one is a dark
brown glossy glaze and unmarked) is 7 7/16"; wide at the outer diameter
of the top; 7 1/2"; OD at the base and 2 3/8"; high. Number 3, also
one from the 1930's is 1/8"; smaller in height and diameter.
The other two, #1 and #4 are newer. As shown in a 1963 catalogue sheet they
have lighter clay or an almost white dry ring. Both have virtually no lip
and are marked ";McCoy Made in USA"; on two lines. The light aqua,
#1 feeder, is 7 1/4"; wide at the top, 7 3/8"; bottom and 2 3/8";
high. The last one is 7 1/16"; wide at the opening, 7 1/8"; bottom
and 2" tall. Size difference like this, 1/4" or less could
easily result from wetter clay or hotter firing temperatures and a variety
of other factors. However, with the lip variances and one being totally unmarked,
it is apparent several master molds and production molds existed. This also
tells us production ran many years.
Next is the Hunting Dog feeder #5 and #6 in the photo, produced in 1935
in two sizes. They both have dry (unglazed) and unmarked bottoms. Number
6, the smaller one, has a dry or unglazed top ridge, while # 5, the larger
one's top ridge is glazed. The "Hunting Dogs" are paired and
looking towards each other.
Trivia question. Does everyone know why feeders #7 and #8 are called
"Spaniel Feeders?" Answer: Because of their shape. A spaniel's
ears are long and hang low from their heads. The narrow opening keeps the spaniel's ears from touching their food. The McCoy spaniel feeder is
marked "McCoy Made in USA" on three lines. It has also been found
unmarked. Another way to tell a McCoy spaniel feeder from other spaniel feeders
is the period after DOG. In fact, this McCoy pet dish is sometimes referred to as "D-O-G-period!" Our reference books show the spaniel feeder was also produced in the late 30's and came in green and maroon. A colored
catalogue sheet shows it was still being produced in 1959 and came in yellow
as did #8. The spaniel feeder is 5" top diameter, 6 1/2" bottom
diameter and 3 1/8" tall. The newer dish in yellow, #8, is slightly
smaller at the bottom.
I was able to find the last two McCoy unmarked dog feeders, #9 and #10 on
a catalogue sheet which was printed in Jean Bushnell's OMM, March 1988,
Vol. 1 #2. Both of these feeders must be for small dogs. Number 9, with straight
sides, is 5" in diameter and 2" high. It says D O G in a more formal
styled font. Number 10 is mine. It is unmarked, but when I saw it, I knew
it was the right color of maroon or ox blood and that it looked exactly like
the CAT feeder which is also 5". So I bought it on a hunch that since
it looked like McCoy and felt like McCoy... I was happy Joanne was able to
validate its authenticity. It was produced in the 1930's. I later found
this maroon dog dish in Pamela Coates Vol I, The Real McCoy, page 16, pictured
right next to the CAT dish.
That's all the McCoy dog feeders I could find, but there are a few others
found in our references to comment about. The two dog feeders pictured on
pg. 210 in Sanfords are Joanne's and at this time are the only two known.
They are marked McCoy Mt. Clemons. The three dog feeders pictured in Huxfords
on pg. 223 at the bottom are from Billie and Nelson McCoy's collection
and also are the only ones known at this time. If you happen to have one
of these five feeders please let me know.
Now here is what I was able to find on the non-McCoy
feeders.In the photo are two
spaniel feeder shaped dog dishes. The "D-O-G-no period" yellow
ware is made by Watt. It is unmarked and has a dry bottom. The other spaniel feeder has dogs going toe to tail around the dish. I have not been able to locate anything to confirm its origin, however, the color of the clay and same dry bottom would leave me believing it was an Ohio pottery - perhaps
RRP. The vertically ribbed dish with dogs facing each other is marked
"U.S.A." and while researching the topic, a fellow collector has
one similar, but marked RRP Roseville Ohio, and I think you would know that
just from seeing it. The last one pictured,which is the smallest of them
all, had DOG in a raised decorated plate on the front side only. It has a
glazed bottom with a dry ring and is an aqua color just a little bluer than
a typical McCoy color. My first guess was Morton, but I didn't find
it in a Morton reference book. Someone suggested Stevens pottery out of West
Virginia - another possibility.
If you have any thoughts or have a similar one which is marked, please let
me know. You may drop me a note c/o Dan at NMX address or
e-mail me at mccjs@aol.com.
Volume 5, Issue 6 February 1999