Mesick Studios Convivial Wear enameled copper charger

Here is another example of Mesick Studio's Convivial Wear, a charger that measures 14" in diameter and 1" high when laid flat. I've had this for 20ish years and moved it today while rearranging my display space for some of my new Japanese and Czech art glass.

From the Founder's family member:

Verity Southall Ltd was started in Altadena around 1950 after the founder arrived from England in 1948. First in Altadena then Laguna Beach. He manufactured pepper mills and matching salt shakers. Mesick Studios was a manufacturer and my dad put the Verity Southall name on the items he bought from Mesick for resale plus the Convivial name. The only imported parts for the pepper mills were the Sheffield steel grinders. The best grinders on the market. I worked for my dad for many years and he sold the company in 1970 to Leeds Engineering to retire and invest in real estate. I can remember going to Mesick Studios in LA with him to pick up merchandise but he never owned Mesick. He dealt a lot with Metlox ceramics and made many pepper mill styles using California ceramists thus the Vreni connection.

The Vreni credited as the designer on the label was probably Vreni Wawra, a female Swiss designer who was active in California in the 1940s-1970s. The earliest mention I found for her was in California Arts and Architecture in Volume 59, 1942. Records I found suggest that she used only her first name professionally and she patented her signature in 1948 with the U. S. Patent Office. She was listed in Who's Who in California in 1971 as a Ceramic and Dinnerware Designer who was born in Bern, Switzerland. She was mentioned in several industry publications during her career. Mesick Studios left very few records.

Here is a CW post by billretirecoll for another example of Convivial Ware:

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/240879-mesick-studios-convivial-ware-enamel-on