Baby Sleigh, Donkey, Deer and More

This blog has information on the planters produced by Medalta.  The information is copied with the permission of the writer.

The photos are from our own private collection.

Whether it was Medalta or Medicine Hat Potteries that first came out with the animal and bird shaped planters may never be known, as the records from both companies are too few and far between. The majority of the Medicine Hat Potteries' records are still missing (the Friends of Medalta Society have a few but they take up less than two lineal feet) and the Medalta records are all but missing for 1938 and 1939 when these figurines first appeared which was also the formative years of MHP as most of you know.  I suspect that it was MHP which led the way, forcing Medalta to quickly follow suit, but admittedly I have no proof to offer at present other than to wonder why they were not introduced earlier if it was Medalta's own idea. This article is about Medalta's figurines only as I do not have the space to illustrate the products of the other companies at this time. The competition's products will have to be shown in a future issue but for the record Alberta Potteries (Yuill) made a rabbit which was very similar to Medalta's, and Medicine Hat Potteries made two different elephants, a dog, a monkey and a leaping rabbit.  Medalta made seven figurine planters in total including a swan, shoe, baby sleigh, rabbit, donkey, elephant and deer. My definition of a figurine planter, by the way, is a piece with an opening large enough to take a small plant such as a cactus or perhaps a violet.  Solid figurines such as the buffalo shown under Hall's Auction will be examined separately sometime in the future What was the sequence in introducing the planters?  The swan apparently was the first 'animal' shaped planter introduced by Medalta. According to Ed Phillipson, he introduced it in 1938, and if you have a copy of the reprinted Medalta 1939 catalogue you will find it illustrated there on page 9. While I am not positive that the shoe was next, I suspect that it was. Regretfully I never asked Phillipson about it, and the notes from the Medalta papers are mute on when it was introduced. However, my guess is that it was introduced around the same time as the swan, and the Medalta stamp found on many of the specimens supports an introduction date of 1938 or 1939. The baby sleigh planter likely came next as we can date it firmly to the period when Medalta took over the P.I.E. vase moulds (Provincial Industrial Enterprises) in late 1939 or early 1940.  Next came the rabbit, donkey, elephant and deer shaped planters assigned style numbers 123 to 126 respectively. Only a few of the Medalta letters mention the figurine planters but they, coupled with style numbers higher than 126, show that the 123 to 126 series were available by 1941.  I believe that they were introduced in late 1940 or early 1941.  One reference that I have dated April 8, 1941, mentions bunnies and donkeys being in the kiln, so we know that they were designed by that time. You usually find the figurines finished in solid glaze colours, but some have been recorded in variegated glazes and the swan can be found in a matt lacquer finish.  For the record, I have recorded the following colours but I am sure that many of you will have colours not listed here.

• Swan, no style # (about 7" long x 5.25" high): glossy white, matt white and turquoise blue, beak and head may be accented in yellow and black 






• Shoe, no style # (about 6.25" long x 3" high): white, medium blue, turquoise blue, marbled orangebrown/cream, pink and maroon 








• Baby Sleigh, style # 89 (about 6.75" long x 6" high): pink, white, cream, turquoise blue and pinkish-mauve 








• Rabbit, style # 123 (about 8.25" long x 3" high): light blue, turquoise blue, white, pink, pale yellow and cream 






• Donkey, style # 124 (about 6.25" long x 7" high): grey, cream, turquoise blue and white, eyes and mouth may be accented in red and/or black 











• Elephant, style # 125 (about 7" long x 5.5" high): pink, white, blue and marbled blue/browns 







• Deer, style # 126 (about 7.5" long x 6" high): grey, cream, yellow, white, turquoise blue, white, pink and pale yellow 






One last comment that I would like to pass along is that the shoe planter came in pairs, but for what it is worth I have great difficulty seeing the difference.

I have included the information for the swan and the rabbit without a photo, currently the swans we have are Medalta 1966 and the rabbit we have is not marked.

And the search continues......

Monkeys, Cats, Elephants and more......

Today's blog is information copied with permission of the writer.

The photos of figurine, planters, vases shown here are Medicine Hat Potteries and all have the "Little Chief" stamp.



C-104 Monkey vase. The monkey with a silly grin on his face and one hand above his head stands about 53/4" high x 7" long. The C- number has not yet been recorded on any specimens.






C-105 Horn and Hoof vase. I was advised that this vase was designed by Jack Fuller (see newsletter no. 8 for some information about Fuller) but, if his signature is anywhere on the piece, I cannot find it.  It stands about 81/4" high and is usually glazed in brown & cream tones, oftentimes a very dark brown. The C- number has not been observed on any specimens.







 This leaf shaped vase with a berry-like cluster at the top is about 91/2" high x 41/4" wide. There is another vase with just the number 107 impressed in the back (the one on the right in this picture) and my guess is that it is later in date, perhaps coming out after the Great War and perhaps replacing the earlier design.  This wall vase measures 101/2" high x 51/2" wide.  Its colour range is somewhat wider as I have recorded two tone glazes and a speckled grayish-purple glaze.





C-110 Streamlined Hare vase.  While no examples have been found where the Cnumber is impressed in the item, there can be no mistaking this vase with any other.  In the past I have referred to this item as the leaping rabbit planter but now we know what MHP called it.  It stands about 41/4" high and is about 93/4" long.




C-103 Cat vase.  This figurine planter is quite stylized for a cat with its relatively long face. I, and other collectors, have always referred to it as the dog shaped planter. We probably thought of it that way due to its face and relatively short stubby tail. It measures about 61/4" high x about 6" long.  The C- number has not yet been recorded on any examples.

C-102 Elephant vase. MHP actually made two styles of elephant planters, one standing upright and the other standing on all fours.  At present I do not know which one was assigned this style number. The upright elephant stands about 7" high while the one standing on all four feet is about 51/4" high x 8" long.  Neither style has been found with the Cnumber on it. The vertical elephant, with his front legs behind his back, is quite tippy and I suspect that most specimens got broken.  It is certainly ten times harder to find than the one standing on all fours.



C-108 Modernistic floral vase.  This vase with a squarish base and stepped flower holders expanding to the top measures about 83/4" high x 43/4" wide.  Some specimens have the number "108" impressed in the back but not all do and, even though there is no Cprefix, I think this is the correct identification.  A similar vase, but a wall one, is also found and like so many of MHP vases it has no number on it





There are a couple others listed as well but as I did not have photos of them so at some point I will include them on another blog.  Like everyone I have a couple of favorites....I love the monkey and the upright elephant.  The monkey just looks like fun and the upright elephant makes me think of a Disney animated movie!!

And the search continues......