Description

A rare figural mural by San Jose Pottery, salvaged from above the fireplace in the ballroom of Windsor House- also known as the “Castle Above the Clouds”- on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.

This home was an extraordinary 1930s hilltop estate built by George and Elizabeth Scholze, of the prominent Scholze Tannery family of Chattanooga. Designed during Tennessee’s brief but notable embrace of Spanish and Mediterranean Revival architecture, the residence was richly appointed with custom ironwork, elaborate stained glass, and an exceptional array of tilework placed throughout its stairways, fireplaces, fountains, and decorative wall programs.

This beautifully composed scene depicts a woman in traditional dress holding a parrot, set within a lush landscape. The palette—turquoise, terracotta red, deep blue, and warm earth tones—reflects the rich, narrative quality associated with Spanish Revival design, where romanticized Old World and Latin influences were expressed through decorative tilework.

The panel bears the San Jose Pottery mark, identifiable as the maguey cactus in bloom, the registered logo of founder Ethel Wilson Harris, who copyrighted a book of designs in 1937. This distinctive mark helps firmly place the tile within the California Spanish Revival movement of the period.

This mural measures 25-1/4″ tall, 19″ wide, and is .1/2″ thick. There is existing mortar remaining on the backside that does make this piece thicker by about 2″ (as pictured).
This piece requires a custom shipping quote, please contact us if you have any questions.