Featured Pottery "thingy" with a duck on top.

Not quite sure if this is a "thingy" on it's own or maybe it is/was a lid to something else... not quite shaped like a lid that I've seen before though. Maybe it's just a decorative duck thingy. Seemed to be nicely done so I picked it up at the thrift to join my menagerie. Any ideas on where/when this is from? 4 1/2" across, 3" high. Thank you good people!

~

 

paperweight...or one of Rayo's flock........?

 

I wonder if that is a lid to something?

 

Interesting thing,I do get a Chinese feel from it though.Not to say it doesnt have some age,but they have been churning out stuff for thousands of years. I could be way off though,so there is that.

 

Boy, that's a stumper. Is the little round (looks unglazed) spot on the side a firing flaw or something? No purpose or anything?

If it's a flaw, my thought process thinks: "this isn't that high end if it left production with a manufacturing flaw". (Not putting the piece down, just sharing thoughts ---may be way off.)

I probably would have brought it home from the thrift, too just because I've never seen similar. And hope it is something great! Wait for others to respond, too.

 

My two cents - I vote paperweight and I would have popped it right into my little shopping cart! I don't think Chinese, though, maybe Scandinavian? There's something about it that says studio pottery and/or souvenir to me. Maybe it's that beautiful blended glaze on the duck or the duck's expression. There's some talent in this piece - shame it wasn't signed.
Don

 

Not sure if it's just a glaze flaw or if something else was attached there at some point - no obvious breakage scar though. Thanks for your input - I also thought it was unique enough to bring home for a couple bucks

 

Thanks Don - I thought it was very pretty too. I'm staring at the base and wondering if there isn't a signature scrawled into the unglazed part... here:



Probably just my eyes playing tricks / my brain wanting there to be something there. Probably just scratches.

 

Now looking at it under a loupe - Might say Nelson or Nelsen - might be scratches

 

I'm not sure I see anything aaroncab. Some pottery items were sanded down so that they would sit flat and it's always tempting to try and makes those lines into a signature. As dirt fills the tiny scratches in it's even more tempting. There were very few potteries or potters that actually signed on the ring itself, although I just bought a Japanese flower frog that has an impressed mark on the ring. I can't say it's not signed there, just that it's unlikely.
Don

 

Does it float?

 

Yes it does

 

Aha. I know what it is. These are sold to float on ponds - I've several.

 

Or fountains....now I recall seeing fountains on display in garden stores, with similar floats having frogs, turtles, ducks.
Kudos to Bear!

 

I really like them, I've some which take candles.

 

How very cool! I'll be on the lookout for them.
Don

 

Learned something new here.

 

Seems I tell myself that every day !!!

 

Only thing with mine, is I have to scrub them like fury every spring. They get gunked with algae and limescale.

 

Thanks so much OBB - mystery solved! Now to install a pond...