California pottery is when people in the state of California make things out of clay that can be used in your home or yard. Think about the clay pots you might see at a garden store or the cute statues of animals you might see in someone's garden.
California pottery has been around for a very long time, starting back in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Lots of people didn't have a lot of money, but they still wanted to have nice things in their homes. So, some clever people in California decided to start making beautiful things out of clay that people could afford.
One of the most famous types of California pottery is called "Franciscan ware." It was made by a company called Gladding, McBean & Co., and it was really pretty! The dishes and bowls and cups were often decorated with bright colors and patterns that looked like flowers or leaves or geometrical shapes. People loved them because they were both beautiful and functional.
Another cool thing about California pottery is that it could be made in all different shapes and sizes. You might see a tiny dish that could hold a ring, or a big bowl that could hold chips for a party. Some people even made figurines, like little dogs or cats, that you could put on a shelf in your home.
Overall, California pottery is just a fancy way of saying that people in California have been making beautiful things out of clay for a long time. They started doing it to help people during a tough time, but now it's become something that people just really love to have in their homes.