If it looks like a duck. . .

Grateful for his write up in Extraordinary North Dakotans, Joe Messer presented the late Erling Rolfsrud with a ceramic mallard duck back in the '50s.
The duck sat in Dad's studio for years and got little note from anyone.
Eventually it wound up in a box of memorabilia and was shipped with other Rolfsrud relics to the Tucson house in 2006.
A couple of weeks ago Carolyn Veeder told Stan and Kathleen that if we have any Joe Messer pottery around, it has become quite valuable. Apparently Larry Veeder and Joe made an acquaintance during their time together long ago at Josten's in Owatonna.
We have no idea what "quite valuable" means, but we do have the duck, and it is in good condition. I have a vague recollection of a bull, cow and calf, but I think Virgil broke them.
Maybe somebody will do some more research and let us know. Somebody who has a copy of Extraordinary North Dakotans handy could look up the chapter (I've mislaid mine) and report in. Here's what I got off the internet when I googled "Joe Messer" today. He, like our late father, started out in a chicken coop.

Joe Messer started production in the fall of 1952 in Bowman, North Dakota. He was given the use of half of his father-in-law's (Harry Olson) chicken coop. Joe built the two kilns that were needed for production.
A Ford transmission and an electric motor became a potters wheel, a washing machine was used to mix the casting clay, and from odds and ends he fashioned other tools that were needed. In addition, Joe made his own molds. Eunice, Joe’s wife cast the porcelain, trimmed the pieces and prepared them for firing along with other jobs around the studio.

Imported clays from Pennsylvania were used for porcelain production. These were fired at 2500 degrees F. to produce a porcelain finish. Among the porcelain items made were figurines, salt & pepper sets, vases, ashtrays, wall plaques/book ends, and planters. Joe used native clay from the Bowman area for his wheel-thrown items. These came out as stoneware and included planters, vases, pots, sugar & creamers, teapots, mugs, and bowls.
Needing more working space, the Messers took over the other half of the chicken coop in the early summer of 1953. Again the need for more space arose and in the summer of 1954 the business moved to a garage on highway 12 in Bowman, North Dakota. They called it "The Pot Shop." In 1956, after five years, the Messers closed the business and Joe accepted a position with Jostens in Owatonna, Minnesota. There he continued his art work through sculptures, painting, and teaching.
The following figurines were made: Large 8" bull, antelope buck & doe, small Hereford, Angus and Holstein family (bull, cow, & calf), turtle, seal, rabbit, coyote, Mallard duck 7", jackalope, and prairie dog.

(The posting continues with more details on production)