Desert House Crafts DHC Gila McKusick Copper Framed Ceramic Tile

Description

Vintage DHC Tile Pottery Copper-Frame - Desert House Crafts -Gila-McKusick Mid-century Fred Harvey Era Southwestern dish, tray made from a pottery tile and framed in copper.
Approximately 3-inch square tile is embedded in a copper frame; copper frame increases size to 6" square; approximately 1" high.
Great condition with nice patina. (no cracks or chips)
From 1952-54, while living in Tucson, Bob and Charmion started a business called Gila Pottery where they made various ceramic products such as ashtrays and tiles. The McKusicks sold their work at the Desert House of Crafts. In 1954 they moved to Globe and started the McKusick Mosaic and Tile Company. The ceramic products they produced were made entirely from the red clay that they dug out of the Pinal Mountain foothills. The grog they used as an additive to make the clay less prone to warping in the kiln firing was made from the milled schist found around their home. The McKusicks used a 13th century Moorish process where each home-made glaze color is applied individually in an inlay with a syringe. Their background in anthropology and ceramic engineering, plus a love of the desert, is obvious in their designs. They also used some Native American Indian artists in the design of their various tiles. Dan and Bebe Lotz were the owners of Desert House Tile and Pottery.