Winged Nymph #123 Walt Disney Fantasia Vase 1940
Winged Nymph #123 Walt Disney Fantasia Vase 1940
Vernon Kilns was an American ceramic company in Vernon, California. Vernon Kilns produced ceramic tableware, art ware, giftware, and figurines. Vernon Kilns was one of the "Big Five" California potteries which included Metlox Manufacturing Company (in Judith's hometown of Manhattan Beach), Pacific Clay Products, Gladding, McBean & Co., and J.A. Bauer Pottery.
In 1940 Vernon Kilns contracted with Walt Disney Productions to make figurines and art ware such as this exquisite vase based on Walt Disney's films including Fantasia, Dumbo, and The Reluctant Dragon.
Two bas-relief winged nymphs with their magic wands are shown amongst dimensional flowers and leaves. The shape of the vase is organic, formed to resemble irregularity found in natural plants.
Hand painting on the vase shows an intricate layering technique done with brushes to create light to dark paint intensities.
Vernon Kilns prided themselves on using the finest quality clays, paint, decoration, and silica glazes in their products, as evidenced by this seventy year old vase with no sign of crazing.
The Winged Nymph Fantasia Vase #123 is documented on page 52 of the Disneyana Collectors Guide to California Pottery, 1938-1960, by Devin Frick & Tamara Hodge.
The vase is marked in black underglaze:
Designed by
WALT DISNEY
Copyright 1940
VERNON KILNS
Made in U. S. A.
123
There is also an underglaze incised mark 123 done in fanciful script which matches Walt Disney's typical style of flourished writing.
The vase measures approximately 4" in diameter and 7" high.
The vase is in excellent condition, with absolutely no chips, cracks, crazing, or repairs of any kind.
"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/