Lorenzen Pottery, 1967 (16.5cm)

File this vase under “You Learn Something New Every Day.” I stumbled across this piece online and was captured by the colors, ribbing and primitive figures stalking across the surface; having the year inscribed on the base was the icing on the cake. But the “Lorenzens” of Lantz, Nova Scotia? I had no idea who they were… until I dug a bit and discovered they were THE Lorenzens, Ernst and Alma, of ceramic mushroom fame. Check that: They ARE the ceramic mushroom Hall of Fame, having specialized in making lifelike replicas of 245 Nova Scotia mushrooms — models which took up to 15 days to construct! Such is the beauty and value of these mushrooms they are prized possessions of not only collectors, but national museums and universities in Canada and the US. Quite a legacy! I remain satisfied with my humble vase, though. It may not have the cachet of their more well-known works, but I like it because it references their beginnings in the 40s as artists making simple vases. This vase may not be the centerpiece of their story, but owning even a small page of their storied history is just fine by me.