A chicken a day: Bertie Rooster

It’s turning out to be more like “a chicken a week.”

Sorry.

I was all set to sit down and write yesterday, when our large black & white dog had an extremely unfortunate encounter with a small black & white skunk.

Fortunately the skunk had bad aim, since the dog didn’t take a direct hit. And, unlike our last skunk episode (not naming any names here, kids, but you know who you are), this time nobody felt sorry for the dog and let her in the house.

We should have just set fire to the place and moved away right then.

Back to the chickens!

Yes, I know that rotting window frame needs to be replaced. You’re supposed to be looking at the chicken!

Here’s Bertie the rooster pitcher striking a typically male pose with somebody else’s eggs. I love how his showy tail feathers curl up to make the pitcher’s handle.

Those heavenly glaze colors are caught my eye—so much like 1940s American pottery!

Antique? Or modern fake? I dunno!

But this guy isn’t American, he’s French. Ooh la la! The base is marked “7430-3 St Clement France.”

Is it old? New? I did a little internet poking around and came across many examples of antique St Clement majolica rooster pitchers. The century-old ones have price tags north of $200. Yikes.

But the old ones also have slightly different—and finer—modeling and detailing.

I’m particularly suspicious of the crudeness of the brown glazing on Bertie’s feet. Antique majolica wouldn’t be that sloppily done, would it?

My (admittedly non-expert) verdict: Bertie’s a modern knock-off. If you’ve spied all his cousins in HomeGoods, that’d pretty much clinch it.

Do I care? Nope. Bertie Rooster’s a charming fellow, he was a deal at $4, and he fits right in with all the vintage pottery birds in my kitchen.

He’s also a dab hand (er, foot?) at the Scotch & water thing, next time we throw a party.

Just watch out for that fearsome beak!