Hull Pottery Identification: From Little Red Riding Hood to Matte Pastels

A.E. Hull (Crooksville, Ohio, 1905–1986) made the soft-serve counterpoint to Roseville's crisp florals: matte pastel art lines — Bow-Knot, Wildflower, Water Lily, Magnolia, Woodland — plus the collecting legend Little Red Riding Hood kitchenware.

Marks by era

Hull marked generously: incised/raised "Hull Art U.S.A." or "HULL U.S.A." with pattern-letter-and-number codes (e.g., "B-7" = Bow-Knot shape 7) on the art lines (1930s–1950); block letters, script variants and "hull" lowercase on later wares; foil labels supplemented. The pattern-code system is a gift — code + size identifies the exact catalog piece, comparable to a Roseville shape number.

The 1950 flood — and pre/post-fire identity

Hull's plant flooded and burned in 1950; rebuilt production (1952+) shifted to glossy glazes (Parchment & Pine, Butterfly, Ebb Tide) because the new kilns handled mattes differently. Collectors therefore split Hull at the fire: pre-1950 matte art lines carry the premium; post-fire gloss lines trade lower. Rule of thumb with exceptions, but the matte/gloss + pattern-name combination dates most pieces at a glance.

Little Red Riding Hood

The 1943-patented storybook line — cookie jars, shakers, wall pockets, banks — is Hull's celebrity (production shared with Regal China; a licensing tangle collectors happily debate). Rare pieces (certain shakers, the wolf jar, dresser jars) reached four figures in the hot years; the market has cooled but remains real. It is also heavily reproduced — fantasy pieces (items never in the line) and recasts with soft details and wrong weights. The line-literature test rules: if it isn't in documented production, it isn't Hull.

Condition and value notes

Matte glazes chip visibly and crazing shows — check spouts, petal tips, basket handles (Hull's baskets are chip magnets). Premium tier: Bow-Knot and Woodland (pre-fire), rare colors, large ewers and baskets, LRRH rarities. Solid tier: Wildflower, Water Lily, Magnolia in clean condition. Comps by pattern-code keep it honest.

Workflow

Photograph the base code and the glaze surface (matte vs gloss reads clearly in daylight shots); the Antique Identifier app resolves pattern codes and flags LRRH fantasy shapes; sold results price the rest.

The bottom line

Read the pattern code, date by matte-vs-gloss around the 1950 fire, treat Little Red Riding Hood as its own guarded kingdom — and let catalog literature veto anything the marks alone would let through.

Values mentioned in this guide are indicative ranges from public auction and marketplace results; condition, provenance and market timing move them substantially. For insurance or estate purposes, get a written appraisal from a certified appraiser.