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October 5, 2013 6:20 PM

What does this say? Trying to make out the characters in the second line of text here: Stoneware Jar. Also, is there a third line?
posted by cjorgensen to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Best answer: It looks like it says CLIN IOWA or GLIN IOWA. but there are no such towns in Iowa -- or anyway not in Polk County, where S. A. Kelsey seems to have had his pottery. There is, however, an Olin, IA, but I can't find any evidence that Kelsey ever worked there.
posted by KathrynT at 6:44 PM on October 5, 2013

There's a Clive Iowa in Polk County, but that doesn't look like it fits.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:56 PM on October 5, 2013

Best answer: Glen John?
Glen Iowa?
posted by littlesq at 11:45 PM on October 5, 2013

It does look like Glin, but I have a hard time seeing Iowa in the second word. Looks like it could be Polk. But oddly enough Boily jumps out at me. Dang it's enough to drive you crazy, isn't it?!

I bet that's just a little country flair centered underneath it.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 3:14 AM on October 6, 2013

Response by poster: We've done a lot of research on the potter, but are no closer to making out the words.
posted by cjorgensen at 3:18 PM on October 10, 2013

Response by poster: It sold for out of our league, so at this point if anyone knows it would just be for curiosity.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:02 PM on October 10, 2013