Thunderbird Canteen with Strap, 1942

The native clays of Oklahoma provided a foundation for the decorative ceramics and dinnerware produced by Frankoma Pottery. John Frank, who headed the ceramics department at the University of Oklahoma, and his wife Grace Lee began the business in 1933. They moved to Sapulpa, Oklahoma, in 1938 and sold their Southwestern-inspired wares coated with prairie-colored glazes at an affordable price. The pottery remained family-owned until 1990.