Florence Ceramics ‘Meg’ Figurine Has a Touching History and Value
Florence Ward began taking art classes as a way of coping with the death of a son in 1939. Encouraged by a professor, she began making ceramics out of her garage in 1942. From that humble beginning grew Florence Ceramics and a line of lovely figurines.
A reader is curious about a lovely Florence Ceramics figurine. Could the figurine be more than a pretty face? And if so, how much more? Find out below.
Question: Does this Florence Ceramics “Meg” figurine have any value?
Answer: Florence of California, also known as Florence Ceramics, had its headquarters in Pasadena, Calif. The founder, Florence Ward, lost one of her children to a blood disease in 1939. To help cope with her loss, she took a class at the Franklin School for Pottery.
Florence was already a skilled sketch artist. After taking the ceramics class, she began producing semi-porcelain figurines in her garage. She proved to be a talented ceramicist, offering her pieces through a local studio. When the studio manager saw her work, he offered her an assistant position. She used the experience to learn all she could about the craft.
In 1942, her husband went to Utah for government service, and her other son was given a Marine posting. To stave off her loneliness, she dedicated her time to honing her craft, and Florence Ceramics was born. She was determined to ensure that every aspect of her work was historically correct. She studied works of art and periods of history—creating details such as lace accents, accessories, and historically accurate hairstyles—even painting copies of great works of art in museums to ensure that the costumes she created for her figurines were meticulously faithful to the period.
Many rarer Florence Ceramic figurines can fetch over $1,000. Your figurine, while lovely, is not rare. A review of recent eBay and WorthPoint sold listings for the “Meg” figurine, reveals average prices of $50-$100. The pricing likely depends on the rarity of the color. Listings over the past year seem to point to the coral dress as being one of the most popular versions. Still, your Meg is a beautiful example of the finely detailed work of Florence Ward. Her artware has been called a “labor of love” by her family and former employees, and Meg is a fine testament to the skill and talent of Florence Ceramics.
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