Posted 5 years ago
billretire…
(593 items)
I found this Cactus Leaf Dish at the Flea Market, on Sunday 08/18/2019, and noticed that it was signed on the bottom in cursive McKusick. When I started to search McKusick Pottery, I found Tiles with Animals, or Native American Indian Designs, but the only Dishes had Tiles incorporated into them. The Tiles that were Signed looked very close to the Signed Mark on the bottom of this Cactus Dish. The Dish is 8 1/4"long x 4" at the widest point, and 2" to the top of the Stem Handle. It's two tone Green Brown Color is a Clear Gloss Green Glaze over the Red Clay, that then shows through, which gives it a realistic look! :^D
So I'm not sure if this Dish is made by Bob and Charmion McKusick's Gila Pottery of Tucson, Arizona, that was started in 1952-54, and then after a move to Globe Arizona started McKusick Mosaic and Tile Company, and sold their work at the Desert House of Crafts. They ran their Pottery for 47 years, and their children continued it.
Bob McKusick lost his left hand, and part of his arm, while engineering explosives, and learned his Craft after. He died on June 20th 2016.
Thank you for looking, all comments are welcome, and any information on this Dish is appreciated! :^)
Here's some information about Bob and Charmion McKusick Mosaic and Tile Company:
https://www.globemiamitimes.com/an-appreciation-of-mckusick-tiles/
Thanks for looking! :^)
Thanks for stopping by, and giving a love,
Watchseacher, Brian, and Gillian, it's appreciated! :^)
Thanks for the love kwqd, it's always good to get! :^)
Hello, sorry I can't help you but I just want to say that who ever made it you were right to pick it up! Very cool, nice and fun piece. Who would think of malung a cactus leaf dish?! Obviously somebody did :) must be an unusual design, or is it just me in the north here who think that way? Maybe I should make a gooseberry leaf dish.... :) :)
Thanks for sharing your lovely dish!
My phone was naughty, it should say "making" not "malung" what ever that means? :)
Thank you Elisabethan, for your comment! Malung, isn't that how they form clay in the north? :^D LOL It's all good! The McKusicks lived in the Arizona Desert, and Cactus, were some of the Plants that they used on their Tile images, along with the different Animals, so it fits with their Work Design. I really liked the feel along with the look, of the Cactus Dish, it has such a smooth finish, no needles to worry about! :^D
Thanks so much for the love that you gave, Elisabethan, Blammoammo, and aura, it's appreciated! :^)
I see, thanks for the information! Very interesting. Yes it looks smoth. Malung is a town here in Sweden ha ha :)
You are most welcome.
I can't remember if I told you but my Mother's Mother came from Sweden, so I'm 1/4 Swedish. It's fun to here that there's a town called Malung, do they make pottery there! :^D Always good to see you Elisabethan! :^)
Hey Ben, thanks for taking a look, and for the love of what you saw! :^)
That is nice to know, we might bec related :) Do you know where she was from?
Malung is a small town in Dalarna with a long tradition of making leather products. But I am sure if we would digg we would find one or two potters in their history :) :) Nice to see you too as always.
Sorry Elisabethan, I'll have to check my Family Ancestry, to find out for sure where my Grandmother came from, but She came to the United States in the late 1800's, with her Family and settled in Northern Minnesota, and Married my Grandfather a Norwegian, in early 1900, in Thief River Falls, Minn. I'll try to get back to you with the Place in Sweden that She was from! :^)
Yes a lot of swedes left to avoid the famine and quite a few came to Minnesota. If you do find out, let me know :)
Thank you all for taking the time for a look, and for the love that you gave,
Karen
Thomas
MALKEY
and keramikos, it's appreciated! :^)
The piece is most definitely Mckusick.
I have many obscure pieces of Mckusick and I do have this example.
Thank you greggp, do you happen to know the date that it was made? I'm very happy to know this! :^)
In the mid 60's I would say.
If you ever run across pieces you think may be theirs, give a shout, I can probably help.
Thanks greggp, I appreciate that! :^)
Thank you for the love you brought for this post Hunter, it's always to have you stop by! :^)