Vintage Hand Painted Tile Children in a Pumpkin Patch with Corn Stalks

This super tile is hand decorated with an image of a boy and girl playing in a pumpkin patch, the girl sitting in a hollowed out pumpkin as the boy gets ready to roll it. In the background are bunches of corn stalks. Its made in the Storybook style popular in the 1920's. This is a thick tile, made from a faience clay. There are incised holes for a string so that it can be hung on the wall. It measures nearly 8 1/4" square and 1 1/2" thick. The edges are sharp and the sides are glazed. Its construction is similar to the plaques made at the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company, but is unmarked. It is likely one of a kind. The condition is very good except for a bruise on the lower left corner, which would be covered if framed.

This tile came from the collection of Penny Marshall (1943-2018) the actor, director, and producer. She collected Arts and Crafts era furnishings and accessories. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the opening of a SoHo gallery exhibition of mission furniture in the 1990's.