Tepco mark

Q: I have a bowl marked "TEPCO." Can you tell me how old the bowl is and anything about the company that made the bowl?

A: The mark was used by Technical Porcelain and China Ware Co., which was located in El Cerrito, Calif. The company was founded by John Pagliero, who emigrated from Italy in about 1905. He worked at potteries in Italy and California before opening his own pottery in California in 1918. Technical Porcelain and China Ware Co. made dinnerware, hotel and restaurant ware, and dishes for the U.S. Army, Navy, and Veterans Administration. Several of its patterns have Western themes. The factory closed in 1968. "TEPCO" was used as a mark beginning in 1922, although the company didn't register it as a trademark until 1951.