Our Hopeful Home: Thrill of the Hunt #69

What do you know about valuable art work and collectible pottery? What I know about the two you could probably fit into a thimble -- but I'm learning! And I want to share that invaluable info with you so that you can be better armed when you set out on your thrifting journies! I've got two sets of new-to-me thrifted vintage items that I can't wait to share with you today. So let's get started!

Anton Pieck 1970 Flower Stall original art print

For starters we have an original Anton Pieck print entitled The Flower Stall. This 1970 print depicts a little girl buying flowers at an open air market in Holland. And this is the part where I tell you that I have never purchased vintage artwork before this, ever. I was too afraid that I wasn't savvy enough to know what was valuable and what wasn't. When I came across this print at Goodwill, in its original packaging, something told me that it was a collectible so I snapped it up.

Close up Anton Pieck 1970 Flower Stall original art print

Anton Pieck was a Dutch artist and designer who became famous for his illustrations of Dutch city life in the early-to-mid 1900's.

This is the number stamped on the print.

original packaging De'Leon Art Co. Anton Pieck 1970 original print

It came from De'Leon Art Co. in Brownwood, Texas. I was intrigued by the amazing like-new condition of the print in its original packaging, as well as the historical background of the artist and the sweetness of the scene. The detail is just amazing. Anton Pieck dutch flower stall print is SOLD.

Anton Pieck 1970 Organ Grinder Monkey with Ice Skaters original art print

Since it was my lucky day I found yet another Anton Pieck print, also from 1970. It's an adorable scene depicting an organ grinder and a poor little girl reaching out to a rich little girl who is handing the monkey a silver coin.

Close-up Anton Pieck 1970 Organ Grinder Monkey with Ice Skaters original art print

This is the number that was stamped on the back of the print.

And again, the print came from De'Leon Art. Co. in Brownwood, Texas. After purchasing these two prints I was happy that I had finally stretched myself beyond my comfort zone and actually put myself out there and bought some vintage artwork! Anton Pieck ice skating print is SOLD.

Mr. Painted Pig 1950's porcelain pig planter

Okay, so what do you know about vintage porcelain pig planters? I knew nothing before stumbling across my next find. It's an adorable porcelain pig planter from the 1950's.

Close-up Mr. Painted Pig 1950's porcelain pig planter

Just look at those eyelashes!

I think he's carrying a cane?

Swirly tail.

Whimsical paint embellishment.

Mr. Painted Pig 1950's porcelain pig planter air plant container

This little fellow would be awesome as an air plant container!

Other faux (or real) plants can certainly be substituted.

It was made in Japan, probably sometime around the 1950's.

According to my research, this little guy is "Mr. Pig" from a Mr. and Mrs. Pig planter set. I mean, how cute is that? My vintage painted Mr. Pig planter is SOLD.

1950's yellow porcelain pig planter cold painted air plant container

Here's another adorable midcentury porcelain pig planter. I think it's funny that I never came across a thrifted pig planter before in my life and I somehow managed to snag two within such a short time of each other!

Here's yet another adorable curly tail.

It appears to have been produced sometime around the 1950's. There's no maker's mark, but the color is reminiscent of some vintage McCoy pottery I've collected over the years.

Again, wouldn't this planter make an adorable air plant container?

You can see that some of the black paint in the eye area has worn off. This led me to do a bit more research and I found some intriguing information about a term I have never run across before --cold painting. And just what is cold painting, you might ask (just as I did)?

“Cold paint” refers to paint which has been applied after the pottery piece has been both glazed and fired. Because this painting is done after firing and is not fired (heated) itself it is called “cold paint,” “cold painted,” or “cold painting.” And because cold painting was done to save money, the results were not only less expensive but cheap in terms of quality: Paint applied over a glaze easily slides or washes off.

However, as this was such a common manufacturing method, most collectors expect such wear and are more accepting of such missing paint than they are of chips [or cracks].

In fact, while vintage cold painted ceramic and pottery pieces with the majority or all of the paint intact will sell for much higher prices, if the cold paint looks too good to be true, it could be a sign that the piece may be a repro (reproduction) and not vintage at all.

Quote taken from the blog Inherited Values.

Isn't that interesting? I mean, who knew that a perfectly painted vintage piece might not actually be a genuine vintage piece at all? A fine example of Caveat emptor! (Latin for "Let the buyer beware.") I'll have to make sure to keep that in mind when I come across my next "cold painted" piece of pottery.

Well, that's it until next time, friends!

I hope you enjoyed reading

Thrill of the Hunt #69!

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