Arts and Crafts Details in Tacoma, Washington

arts and crafts era dutch boy tile

Look at the awesome details on this fireplace mantle!

I saw these little gems, and I just had to take pictures.  Original Arts and Crafts like a nice piece of Weller Claywood or Burntwood pottery.  Lovely.  Little dutch boy and dutch girl ceramic tiles.

1921 Craftsman Tile, Tacoma, WA

I have been highly attuned to all things arts and crafts of late.  It's like my arts and crafts radar just started working. Perhaps I have finally trained my eye to find it against the backdrop of so many different styles.  However that works, when I saw these little tiles I immediately loved them.

Little parts and pieces of a Visions of a bygone era.  Little gems that have survived.  For years I lived in a neighborhood that included many arts and crafts era houses.  It was a wonderful neighborhood.


The dutch boy and dutch girl tiles came from that area, and are located in recently remodeled 1921 craftsman style house in Tacoma, Washington, in a neighborhood known as the North End. 

The fireplace had been the sole source of heat and the tiles were covered in 90 years of smoot. During a rebuild of the house, the homeowner cleaned the tiles. I totally agree with cleaning the tiles.  Who needs all that grime in a nicely remodeled home?  Some, and I would like to think a small number of people, would have said to leave the patina.  I disagree completely on this one -- clean is cool and brought out the details and contrast.  

I noticed them immediately and thought how nicely they complemented the period of the house.  Interestingly enough, almost the only thing original about the house was the mantle and tiles.  I can't imagine how much scrubbing it took to get these tiles this clean.  Nice detail to save.

Jimmyjumpnjive 2012

Garage Sale Divas! What would David do?

Intuition and the garage sale. 

Assorted American Art Pottery Pieces

You're at a garage sale and you see something you collect. What do you do?  "Play it cool. Pick it up if it's small.  Carry it with you if you can," advise the garage sale experts at Dumb Dog Tricks Intl.  

Red Wing Pottery Mark

If a piece of furniture is too big to carry, you can always let 'em know you want the piece and put down cash.  Cash is king.  If you don't know that, then you don't know the world of high stakes garage sales.  The important names in this bulletin are McCoy, Red Wing and Bauer.  There's one unmarked piece that I can't identify yet.  All of these pieces came from two garage sales that were near each other, perhaps only two blocks away from each other. Walking distance. 

 As I recall I went into one garage sale and scored both of the red vases.  I was like, "Wow, look at the cool stuff I just found."  Then I went over to the other house and found three or four more collectible pieces.  I've had good days before, but this was a way too easy for whatever reason.  And it was a particularly successful venture into the world of the second hand American pottery collector.

Yeah, I know this is not art pottery.  At best it's poor man's art pottery.  Curse you, David Rago!  I cannot afford REAL Art Pottery so I must collect garage sale floral ware.  I heard that Dave Rago is in a new  new reality show -- garage sale divas!  Bring it, Rago!  I'll show you a pot!  Don't piss in it! Har! Snark!

I like to think that these little gems of pottery were calling out and I followed their vibration to find them.  Is it intuition or just luck when you find a little gem of vintage American pottery. Intuition (and luck) like all my old soup recipes.

Blue is marked Bauer, Peach is marked USA (McCoy).

Collect what you love and enjoy what you collect.  You can entertain yourself forever with the possibilities, why stop at one house but not another?  Why lift the lid off one box but another? Why date one person but not another!  Har! Gak!

Extra credit question -- what is this piece?  Russel Wright-ish but no mark.  The handle is hollow but it has the old kiln marks on the bottom, like any old piece of pottery.  Wait a minute ... is it possible that this is this Unamerican Art Pottery!  Har! Snork!  My guess is that this is probably 1950's but not American.

The Heywood Wakefield Mystery Mirror

How I found my 

Heywood Wakefield Mystery Mirror

I have always been a Les Schwab kind of guy.  But it was a Sunday, you know? (Les gives his guys the day off on Sundays.  I think so that they can watch football on television.)  So we had to go to an inferior, though still very manly tire store that did not have coffee and pop corn.

Stumbled into a second hand store next door and was drawn to this mirror.  It was calling my name.  lifted it out of the rubble.  It's always so exciting when you find something you really, really like.

I believe this is colloquially referred to as a Heywood Wakefield accessory or dresser mirror.  I do not know the name or line it was made with.  It would have been made around 1950, as my best guess would have it.   Arts and crafts genius.  Hints of mid century modern and deco.  If you're into this type of stuff, this is exciting stuff.

Heywood Wakefield arts and crafts mirror.

It's tough even to find a decent photo of this particular mirror because it's very rare and very cool.   

I immediately liked it but it was too heavy for me to turn over to see if it was marked.  CHZ arrived for the assist and she asked what it said.  I told her, "Heywood Wakefield."  She was like, "Shut your mouth!"

But there it was plain as day.  Well worth the $25 asking price.  

It is in fair to poor condition.  Looks like a homemade repair with toothpaste on one part of the front of it.  IMHO the rarity of the piece holds value even though the condition isn't pristine.  

I would also note that the wood used and craftsmanship of this piece is impressive.  It is heavy and well constructed.  But it's so cool and it might need to go to someone who might restore it and place with another piece similar to it.

Jimmyjumpnjive 2012