RARE1940s Will-George10 Inch Tall PREENING Flamingo California Pottery

  

Vintage 1940s Will-George 10 Inch Tall, Preening Flamingo Sculpture California Pottery. Here is an outstanding Flamingo sculpture by Will-George measuring approximately 10 inches tall, The base is 5 1/2" x 3". Known for designing the iconic Flamingo Hotel mascot, this figure is much taller and is in a slightly different pose than the "giveaway" flamingo designed for the hotel. Other than minor crazing (to be expected for its age) It is in excellent condition with no chips, nicks or cracks on the statue, underneath it does have a small chip on the bottom as seen in pics. It is marked "Will George, Pasadena" on the bottom.

It was ran by brothers William and George Climes. Each one was hand painted and never mass produced.

They were a small company and did not widely distribute their products past the West Coast. In late-1945, famous gangster Bugsy Seigel contracted with this pottery firm to make 200 smaller, specially marked flamingo figurines for the grand opening night of his "Flamingo Hotel and Casino". Like most California pottery companies, Will-George suffered after the influx of cheap imports during the 1950s.

William and George liquidated their business in 1956. Will Climes designed for Hagen-Renaker until his death in 1960. George Climes worked with Redondo Tile Company of Torrance through the 1950s and was a lab technician for Gladding-McBean until his death in 1966. Please review the photos for a complete description.

I do have another one in a different pose listed, Take a look!! That contain some great vintage and antique items, the inventory always changes, please check my other listings, and make sure you add me to your favorite sellers lists. We do not collect these items, and we are NOT experts. All Items will be sent clean and smoke free.