Nils Thorsson at Royal Copenhagen: Columbine Bird and Bottle Vase

Nils Johan Thorvald Thorsson (1898 - 1975) was a ceramic artist at Royal Copenhagen from 1912 until his death in 1975. He became the artistic director at RC in 1949.

Here we have a highly collectible Nils Thorsson bird-shaped posy vase from the "Columbine" series. This black, white and yellow piece was made in 1960:

Nils Thorsson Columbine Bird Vase, available from Pillowsophi on Etsy

And here is a wonderful 1960's Nils Thorsson bottle vase:

Royal Copenhagen Denmark Nils Thorsson Bottle Vase, available from Pillowsophi on Etsy

On the bottom of the vase, you can see the Royal Copenhagen stamp and Nils Thorsson's cypher:

Marks on Nils Thorsson Royal Copenhagen Denmark Vase

I love Thorsson's work; I hope I'll be able to share more of it with you in the future!

Vintage Cottage, Part I: 60's Denby and Three Little Skunks!

I spent the first part of August away from the internet, up at the family cottages (a.k.a. Camp)... but that doesn't mean I've been neglecting this blog! While I was up in cottage country, I took lots of pictures of some of the gorgeous vintage items which are enjoyed by my extended family each summer. For the most part, the cottages were furnished and decorated in the 50's, 60's and 70's; what a treasure trove!

This "Vintage Cottage" miniseries will consist of two or three posts; this one features some lovely pieces by Denby and three adorable skunk figurines.

First, a Denby accent mug which I believe to be from the 60's:

Next, a stunning coffee set in my favourite Denby pattern, "Studio", which was made from 1961 until 1974 (love this pattern? I try to keep my Etsy shop stocked with it):

And finally, three adorable little skunk figurines (two of which appear to have been beheaded and - thankfully - lovingly repaired).  I don't know who made them, but one eBay seller thinks a very similar skunk might be 1950's California pottery, perhaps by Rio Hondo or Walker.  Indeed, the skunks do bear some resemblance to these Rio Hondo skunks.  Anyway, here they are:

Next time: Pyrex, Arcoroc France and more!