Last weekend I went to an estate sale in Lansing, Michigan on the second day when prices were marked down. I saw a cat figurine and didn't pay too much attention to it, primarily because I'm a dog lover and the figurine had soft colors that didn't call out to me. The woman that was holding the sale thought I was passing up an opportunity, and pointed out the figurine was a Kay Finch of California ceramic cat:
After taking a second look, I began to appreciate the item. Plus, I realized the "Kay Finch California" mark indicated that the cat might be a good item for me to sell on Ebay, because California mid-century pottery is hot right now. I was willing to take a chance and I bought it for $40.00.
Once I got it home, I did a little research and found the name of the cat was "Ambrosia." I couldn't find a similar one that had sold recently on Ebay, but other Kay Finch items had sold vigorously, indicating that my cat would be a good item to put up for auction.
My research yielded a little more background on Kay Finch Ceramics. The pottery was made in Corona Del Mar, California, from 1935 to 1963. Pieces were mold-formed and glazed with mostly pastel glazes, and hand-detailed in darker colors. Many of the popular Kay Finch creations were fanciful animals such as pigs, cats, and horses; she also created male and female figures and more utilitarian wares such as ash trays and vases.
Right now, I'm auctioning the cat on Ebay. If you want to see where the price is, bidding-wise, you can take a peek here. I'm hoping to at least double my initial investment of $40. It will be exciting to see what happens!
The Kay Finch California mark on the bottom is rather light, but I think you can see it well enough:
So now when you see pastel glazed pottery figures, look for the Kay Finch mark on the bottom. You might have a valuable little item on your hands!
And wish me luck on my auction....
Mitzi
