I was at a garage sale over summer where I saw this ceramic piece. It initially struck me as a newer piece, but the paint and jeweled eyes of the cat intrigued me.
Turning the piece over, I found it was marked Byron Mold 1972.
Scratched into another place was "1975".
I liked the detail and it was only $2, so I picked it up.
Various details such as her broom, toadstools, a spell book, a bell and a candle surround her.
A few weeks later, I found another at an estate sale.
The detail on this one wasn't quite a well done, but still a nice piece. There were no markings on the bottom of this one. Interestingly, this one had a hole in the back through which a light could be placed. The other one has no hole in the back and has to be lighted through the bottom.
Looking on eBay, a multitude of varieties of these witches with different paint schemes can be found along with an assortment of other molds made by Byron including scarecrows, ghosts, and other non-Halloween-related castings.
I couldn't find any history on the Byron Mold company, but clearly they supplied hobbyists with blank ceramics they could paint and fire which would explain the wide variances.
Those look like blanks you could paint - I did such a thing in Duluth MN when I was in high school in the year 1980. I painted a big ghost with a pumpkin head. Unfortunately I broke it. I think that's why the paint jobs vary so - depended on your skill level. The first looks like she has been dry brushed with a black undercoat. That second witch is a bit of a saucy minx with those bare legs don't you think?
ReplyDelete>That second witch is a bit of a saucy minx with those bare legs don't you think?
DeleteOh, yeah, I didn't notice that, you're right. It's like she went to the local witch protest and burned her stockings. FREEDOM!
wow, that first one is amazing. do you think that 1972 was when the blank was made, and 1975 was when someone painted it? love the addition of the bell, book and candle!
ReplyDeleteYes, that would be my guess (1972 mold creation date, 1975 casting). Yes, the bell, book and candle are a clever addition. I thought of the Jimmy Stewart movie.
DeleteWonder if they were done together, like painted at the same place? I know when my grandmother was going to a day place for senior citizens, they would do different things like crafts. I still have a ceramic snowman she painted and finished theree.
ReplyDelete