DESIGN FINDS - A fine example of a historical collection of San Jose Potteries tiles for your mission, arts and crafts style home from the San Jose Workshops that were located in San Antonio, Texas near the historical Mission San Jose. These are perfect accent tiles for a fireplace surround, kitchen back splash, or set on a tabletop. Pattern: "Calla Lily" - Produced in the 1940's.  I collected these tiles over a span of ten years.

Set of 17 tiles | Approximately 6"x 6" each; all hand crafted by workshop artisans.
Total Weight before boxed: 14.25 pounds

I met Susan Toomey Frost, author of “Colors on Clay”, at her art forum/book signing that I attended at the Round Top Festival Institute where she shared her knowledge about the historical San Jose Workshops. She signed the copy of the book I purchased that includes information about the Calla Lily tile pattern and is a “must have” for the admirer of San Jose Potteries.

Equal parts art, biography, and history, Colors on Clay brings to life the artistry, designers, and styles that brought the San José Workshops’ distinctive art pottery to international prominence. Author Susan Toomey Frost tells the story of how two colorful characters, Ethel Wilson Harris and her talented designer Fernando Ramos, revived a dying Mexican art and eventually became the driving forces behind three San Antonio art tile factories, known collectively as the San José Workshops. Produced from 1931 through 1977, the factories’ tiles and wares became celebrated throughout the world and prized in San Antonio for both public and private installations. In addition to historical and biographical information, Frost provides detailed information on authentic tiles, helping collectors steer clear of the many reproductions on the market. Featuring 300 full-color illustrations, including never-before-seen drawings, this exhaustively researched, and eminently readable book is an important addition to any collector’s library.

The Calla Lily design is also referenced in “The Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles” by Norman Karlson.