The Pine Cone Wall Pocket In the Johnson Kitchen

More on the pink Leaf wall pocket here. Mr. Guidera identified the hot dog serving platter here.

Shelly and Leo Johnson's home contains a vast array of mid-century decor. One item, a pine cone wall pocket, is most often seen on the kitchen wall above the stove.

Mr. Vinnie Guidera (@twelverainbowtrout) and Mr. Jason Mattson (@esor_eulb) recently shared information and a photographs of their replica pine cone wall pockets. I bought a similar wall pocket almost a year ago after discovering it on Etsy. I didn't write about it until now because its manufacturer cannot be identified. 

One wall pocket collector's guide I read provided an image of the same make with a different color scheme, but the writer also could not identify it. Seeing the piece online in different colors, sometimes with dates and signatures, I came to believe it must have been painted by hobbyists. I initially wondered if it might have been a bisque ready-to-paint set, as they were mass-produced and have a solid white base. Later, I thought of the ceramic vases, pitchers, and figures my aunt used to make. I consulted Mr. Guidera, but in my constantly addled mind, I didn't phrase words as I should have, writing that my aunt painted "already made pieces." My mother seems to have subconsciously influenced me with the idea that if an art piece is not made by scratch, i.e. using molds, paint by numbers, etc., it's "already made." Rereading the message upset me because I thought I'd been more specific. To this day, I remain uncertain of how the pine cone wall pocket came to be made.

Searching for ceramic molds made me realize that I'd seen some at my aunt's house. The pine cone wall pocket in my possession has someone's initials etched on the back, making one think its creator signed it before the piece dried, possibly connecting it to ceramics.

Here is a link to how ceramic molds are used.

My aunt is no longer with us for me to ask. I remember her giving me the pitcher and washbowl below, but recall little of what she told me about making it.

Bowl and pitcher.

The wall pocket on the dining table in 2.007 (Lonely Souls, episode 14).