Oil Painting of a Poodle by M. E. Lorenz

I love this portrait of a white poodle!

The painting is oil on canvas. It is signed M. E. Lorenz - I have searched ... and continue to search ... for information about this artist. I think it's possible that he or she is an amateur artist from my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Manon Freres Puppy Love Perfume Bottle

Manon Freres mini perfume bottle c. late 1940s. This cute little puppy still has remnants of its "Puppy Love" perfume.

The bottle is about 2-3/4" tall with a yellow bakelite cap. It is molded glass in the shape of a floppy earred dog, with a bow tied around his neck.

Boehm Porcelain Poodle Figurine

This beautiful white porcelain bisque poodle figurine is by Boehm. As you can see, his tail is broken! Boehm has a wonderful restoration department (which restores Herend, Royal Doulton and more in addition to Boehm). I'm thinking about sending him to them to be repaired.

I believe that this is the older version of this design, which was originally produced in the late 1950s.

Chalkware Fox Terrier Ashtray or Pin Dish

Wonderful vintage Fox Terrier ashtray or trinket dish! Two pieces are included - the chalkware piece itself, and a glass insert. It measures approximately 3" tall x 5-1/2" x 3-3/4"; the glass insert is 2-2/3" diameter.

The piece is undated, but I believe it to be from the 1950s.

Calico Dog Bud Vase from Japan

Very cute mid-century bud vase, featuring a calico dog and a green bird. The pink polka dotted vase is approximately 3-7/8" tall x 2-1/4" x 2-1/4" x 1" at rim. The calico dog has black and yellow spots, pink ears, downturned red mouth and big black eyes. The brightly colored green bird on the side of the vase is sitting atop a pink tulip. The bottom is stamped "Made in Japan".

The book "Collector's Guide to Made in Japan Ceramics", by Carole Bess White, devotes an entire chapter to mid-century calico animal ceramics from Japan. Vases similar to this are given a value in the $20-$30 range in the book.

Crystal Nail File with Hand Painted Brown Dog

Every July 4th weekend, we go to the Westmoreland County Arts and Heritage Festival in Twin Lakes Park, near Greensburg, Pennsylvania. I love arts festivals, and this one is a real favorite - it's set among the trees and along the lake, and the setting is beautiful and relaxing. I always find some little treasure that brings me pleasure throughout the year and reminds me of a happy summer day.

One of my purchases this year was this little travel nail file from Pat's Crystal Nail Files of Lebanon, PA. Pat was a friendly, very nice woman who hand paints the nail files with tiny images of everything imaginable - my favorites were the dogs and cats, and the tiny pink flamingos. First of all, my eyesight is so bad that I really admire anyone who can paint something so tiny! Secondly, the nail files themselves work really well!

Bone China Wire Haired Fox Terrier Dog Family by Shiken, Japan

This Fox Terrier family consists of three different bone china figurines by Shiken, Japan. The largest dog is approximately 2" tall x 1-3/4" long x 3/4"; the bottom of his paws are marked with an "S" in a circle. The second dog is fractionally smaller - 2" tall x 1-1/2" long x 3/4"; it has a red and silver label that reads "Bone China SHIKEN Japan". The smallest Terrier is about 1-1/2" tall x 1-1/3" long x 1/3" wide. They are all a glossy tan with black markings and brown muzzles.