Frankoma Potteries was founded in 1933 in Norman Oklahoma by ceramic artist John Nathaniel Frank and his wife Grace Lee Bowman. Since the company's modest beginning as a husband and wife joint venture, the company has survived many trials including bankruptcy, two devastating factory fires, and the troubled economy during World War II.  Despite these challenges, the company is still in business today.  Frankoma is a uniquely American pottery which, over the years, has created dozens of styles and hundreds of unique designs.  Frankoma has produced utilitarian ware, figurines, jewelry, limited edition art vases, and commemorative ceramics celebrating American organizations, communities, and history.  

The age of Frankoma pieces can be determined to some extent by the type of clay used to create a piece. Most frankoma ware has some areas of exposed clay, usually on the bottom, where the color of the raw clay can be clearly seen. The earliest Frankoma clay is a high quality Oklahoma clay know as Ada clay, and has a creamy tan color.  After 1954 the company transitioned to clay from a deposit nearer the factory in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, now know as Sapulpa Clay.  Sapulpa Clay has a distinct brick red color.  In 1980 the company began adding additives to their clay which gives newer works a pale orange-pink hue.