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*House of the Month*
Tom Hull spotted this most unusual coconut beauty in an eBay auction picture way
in the back of a pile of putz "junk." (See, also: "Putzes 2005") What a hawk-eye
to spot this! The gang calls it the "Petit Four" house, which I really don't get
because it's the rounded parts and not the square that make it,- and that bush on
the second story balconey!-
but I'll let him tell it in his own words....
- 2006 -
MAIN PAGE
TABLE of CONTENTS
January:
LARGE: 7 1/2 X 4 3/8 X 5 3/4" high- base repainted.
"A friend of mine named this the "Petit Four" house and it seems apt for such a
coconut confection as this. Somehow this captures the essence of what we
typically think of in a coconut house. As my sister would say it "looks good
enough to eat! Umm ummm!" And so I offer this feast for the eyes instead of
the mouth, aiding all who made those typical New Years resolutions.
Though the base needed heavy restoration the house itself was in pretty good
shape. It is so nice to see the coconut in such a frosty "sugar plum" shape.
But some interesting things are going on here. From the elaborately crenellated
fence to the round drum like room to the little balcony that an elfin Juliet
just might have used.
Also of interest is the tree which in this instance is located on the deck of
the roof of the drum. And there is more
From this "hidden" angle we can see a foil "windoor" letting onto the deck
perhaps a trysting spot for our imaginary elfin Juliet.
This also shows a detail of this almost unique fence treatment. Broken down
into its simplest elements the fence started as a regular hill and dale type
like the trim on the deck above it and then used a narrow slotted punch in every
other valley to achieve this crenellated look.
And this shows the little pink chimney. Wishing all of you a very Glad New
Year." - Tom Hull
February:
This month we have a mated pair; Church and Parsonage, if you will.
I have kept them together as they were found together in the same brick livery
and condition.
Tom Hull straightened out a very crumpled church steeple peak, but the rest required
no attention. The tall and very slim steeple, the lithographed brick work and
the odd spots of "snow" set this very early. Though not from the same set, they
are almost certainly of the same year. I would say 1928 without reservation.
The little "parsonage"is found in several colors and finishes, but
this is the best and rarest, I would think. We can see the freedom from logic
the Japanese enjoyed in the brick roof of the church. There it is, but do you
really mind? It's also interesting to note from the glint
of reflected light that this brick paper was varnished or shellacked.
Antoinette thinks I'm bogus on the roof. She believes it to be a bona-fide
slate roof. Maybe so. She cites the shine as indicative
of a true effect, and that some bricks overlap. (It should be all, if that were true.)
But I have seen this brick pattern with the black "mortar" on other houses. For
my own part, I prefer the less rational interpretation. I am really getting
impatient with logic. It seems it always brings things down. Who has it ever
made happy? (Besides - I see mortar between the "tiles." )
March:
This is a big, triple section church Tom brought back from the dust bin.
Partly coconut with neat details, such as the little silver bell and this little
balconey beneath the steeple.
This is how it appeared "live" in Tom's mantel putz this past Season.
A Pigeon's view of the roof - returning to home in the bell tower. The corrugated
roof adds great textural interest. We couldn't have corrugated tin roofing on a
building so large and noble, so coupled with the red-orange color, this would have
to be a simulation of terra cotta tile, I'm sure.
April:
"Hi Ted,
For the April HOM, I am submitting for your consideration probably the oldest
Japanese cardboard Christmas house that I own. It is 3 1/4" long, 3" wide, and
6 5/8" to the top of the tower. The candy box "base" is 2 3/4" long and 2" wide
and about 3/4" high.
It is a very fragile predecessor of the houses we love. It is a candy box
house with several of the characteristics you often see in its descendents.
First of all, the form is the somewhat common pointed arch "rounded" roof with
the flared eaves. You see this form a lot in houses and churches from the
thirties, often with the side tower, pointed arch cellophane windows, and a
Padre figure in front, in both medium blue and chartreuse green colors. I have
also seen it as a "hacienda" type church.
>Second, this house is an early "printie," wrapped in a very simple, very
fragile brick printie paper, tan color on the house and an off-white color on
the tower. I had to repair the front wall of the house, under the eave, but
luckily there was some original paper wrapped on the inside of the house that I
"harvested" for that purpose. You can see the slight difference in color in the
repaired area just under the tree
Third, this house is a trapezoid shape, and although this one is not on a box
"base" like its descendents, the concept is there that you have often pointed
out -- that the house is so much more interesting with that "forced perspective"
from the elongated box effect of the trapezoid.
Fourth, both the house roof and the tower roof are cotton-topped with that
beautiful shimmery fine-mica finish you see on the earliest of the candy box
houses, and later on some of the loggies and haciendas.
The base of this house is painted with a white "snow" stripe that is also mica
finished, and also reminiscent of the way the later houses were finished on the
box bases.
The door is arched, but is the lithographed "stick-on" type of door. This one
is surrounded by brown chenille "yarn" trim. You see this kind of trim on the
Santa candy containers from that time that aren't houses - santa in sleigh,
santa in automobile, santa on net bag, etc.
The "tree" next to the front door is the very fragile fiber chenille type, on
the twisted wire "trunk." It is a tree type you sometimes see in Santa's hand
and often see on these type of candy box houses. One branch of this tree is in
better condition than the other. The wire "trunk" is poked through the outside
wall and folded up against the inside of the box.
The Santa on the roof of this house is absolutely outstanding, and very, very
early. His face, beard, and hat are all one piece molded composition or plaster
. His body is that lovely "tomato soup red" colored crepe paper wrapped over
cotton, and his bag is tan colored crepe paper wrapped over cotton as well.
The later Santas that you see on these early houses are more simple colored
cotton batting and rarely have a bag. This Santa's legs are done the same way
as the later Santas - black cotton wrapped wire.
This is a house I treasure just because it has survived since the mid 1920's,
and it helps set the stage for the wonderful houses that came after it. This
one required lots of hand work. Is is truly a GRAND-daddy of the coco's and
haciendas. The color combination of this house is particularly compelling to
me, too, with the tans, browns, and tomato red. I love it! I hope your fans
do, too.
May:
The "Institutions"
Hi, Ted!
For your sixth anniversary House of the Month, I submit a wonderful building
that is not so much a Christmas House, but is fabulous anyway. It is a half-
round building that is a sister to your February 2001 HOM, which you call the
"Christmas Penitentiary."
This building, in fact, came with another version of
the "penitentiary" that is finished very differently from the Feb 01 HOM, and
looks wonderful next to this building. Together, they make a wonderful "urban"
statement.
Both buildings have the most amazing "faux finishing" that I have ever seen on
cardboard buildings. I suspect these buildings were made for a train village
or "soldier" play set, but they have all the characteristics of the cardboard
Christmas houses, particularly the candy box houses, as each has a removeable
tower element.
Both buildings have snowed bases, although my "penitentiary" is missing its
single-ply base. You can see the snow on the bottom of the outside walls.
Both buildings have the exact same pale aqua cellophane windows. Check out the
close up of a window in the round building. Notice the texture of the papers
that were used as the wall finishes. They resemble heavily-woven fabric. Next,
check out the fabulous faux finishing. Each building is papered and painted
differently, although they share the same dark brown, round-punched, corrugated-
cardboard-trimmed parapet details, and the same silver paint highlights along
the parapet edges.
Both buildings have white "die-cut" windows and doors. You see the die-cut door
s more frequently on the "lakkie" house style, and rarely on the "loggies."
As you mentioned in the Feb 01 HOM, neither building has a hole in the back for
a light, but instead have openings in the bottoms. I suspect they were intended
to be lit because of the cellophane windows.
The "semi-rotunda" is 6 1/4" wide x 2 5/8" deep x 8 1/8" high.
The "penitentiary" is 6 5/8" wide x 2 1/8" deep x 8" high (missing the single-ply
base)
My photos don't do the buildings justice. They are really big, well constructed
, and just fabulous.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Ted, you have given your fans six great years and we
appreciate it! .... K.M.
Thanks! I thought to keep these for Christmas, but since it's the 6th
Anniversary (316 weeks according to FreeServers)I decided for something most unusual,
and these certainly are! What the makers had in mind is hard to say. Only two are
known in this category.
My square one has a very different, more ominous finish: very rough-textured and "mossy"
looking. - leading to the "Christmas Penitentiary" label. The pair above are not quite so grim.
There is much hand detailing with a fine brush, and a smoother, newer quality -
but they are still pretty foreboding looking. My own name for them now is
"THE INSTITUTIONS." ( God only knows what they're doing in there! ) I don't believe
that they ever had bases. That snow fringe would blend down to your white sheet
putz or table foundation. Somebody turn one up and prove me wrong?
.... Papa Ted
June:
The BIG "PEACH"
Ted,
This house is structurally similar to a previous HOM that is bright yellow with a
red
cellophane covered foil roof, which has a chimney that is articulated with a slot
with red
cello in it. ( It is one of the January HOMs.)
This house is a simpler version of that one in that the chimney on this one is in
the same
plane as the entry door block and the chimney on this one is missing the slot.
Otherwise, the forms are identical.
This house is HUGE!! In all my collection, I might have a half dozen houses that
are this big
. Older houses this size are rare. You find the churches this size every once in
a while,
but the houses are rare. The base on this house is just a hair over 9" wide x 5 1/2"
deep x 1 1/8" high. The overall height of the house on the base, to the top of the
chimney and highest roof ridge is 6 3/4"
The double figures on this house are both original, and it occurs to me that houses
this big
almost always have double figures. The snowman is glued well in place, but the girl
figure
is a little loose, and I can tell that she is the type with the double short wires
in her feet
that secure her to the base. We will have to ask Tom if the double wire is an older
or a
newer treatment for the figures. I suspect it is older because it "wastes" labor in
securing
a second wire into the figure.
Look at the great depth of space created by the three overlapping roof forms backed by the
fourth roof that is perpendicular to the others and covers the left-side wing of the house.
All four roofs have that lovely steeply angled gable form.
Except for the uppermost window, the windows are original. I had to repair (not too well as
witnessed by the close up photo) the uppermost window which was missing over half of it. What
is particularly interesting is that they are BLUE cellophane with SILVER mullions. You see
blue and silver windows occasionally, but they too are pretty rare.
Another rare aspect is the articulated steps at the door. I figure that houses with this type
of steps come from the very early thirties, but I would like your's and Tom's opinions on that.
I have earlier houses with the wood block step, and earlier houses with the corrugated
cardboard used as steps and edged by thin cardboard. And I have other medium sized houses
with steps like these. Steps were another time-consuming labor intensive detail that got
lost or simplified in the later houses. That's why I would guess at the early 30's for this
one. The other reason I think it is from the early 30's is because the chimney height matches
the highest roof ridge, which greatly simplified packaging for shipping to the USA from Japan.
Check out that door. It is my favorite of all the doors because it has the red "flowered" surround on the perimeter. It is a door you don't see all that often, either. There is a close up of the identical door in your "repair parts" section of your website. It is fabulous.
And, finally, enjoy the COLORS on this house because they are wonderful and the "palette" seems so well planned and executed. The photos don't show it well, but the base and fence painted undercoat is just slightly "blue-er" than the roof underpaint. The "coco" on both roof and base is identical, but the paint colors below the coco are just slightly different colors of green. The base is just barely "blue-green", while the roofs are more "yellow-green."
The blue windows, two-toned green roofs and base /fence, and the sand-finished peach wall color are perfectly matched to the colors on the girl figure and the colors in the litho door. This house in person, although seemingly pretty "simple," is very compelling and attractive because of the way everything has been coordinated.
And it isn't heavily "snowed" which is why I thought it was a good candidate for the June HOM. The grass is sprouting, the snowman about to melt, the atmosphere very sunny. I hope you and your readers enjoy it!
July:
A MASTER RESTORATION
-by Tom Hull
"This month is a continuation of last month's LARGE house and is an instance of how far back one
can come with a restoration. The dimensions are essentially the same as last month with the
9" long base. This house is so HUGE it almost overwhelms its smaller brethren and though a
pretty simple presentation the size of it allows some interesting details. Notice the chimney
projects slightly above the roof line. This shows what the house looked like when I got it. In as discouraging shape as you can find
one.
There were times when I didn't think this one could come back at all but with
perseverance at least a sembalance of it's former glory has been restored.
The two figures were missing from this house, but this size house most certainly had two
figures. The snowbaby type is a replacement made from a mold that I took from the spare figure
I had. I put the double wire feet in it too as in the original. The footprint matched exactly
as did the holes. The dog was hand modeled after Antoinette's and from the original footprints
seemed to be the right rover.Shows various footprints here. All important clues I had to work with. The little figures
feet fit this "footprint" on the right exactly. The dogs footprints on the left. Also note
the square "footprints" of the posts on the porch and the fence as well.
This shows how the two figures fit the footprints. The seated Santa on the left is a hand
modeled one for a hacienda project.
Notice the very interesting built up construction on the
porch/stoop. The capped side parapet is almost unique. The square posts again were missing but
also matched their footprints on the porch. This size of window is unavailable and will have
to be made by hand when it is missing. These were carefully salvaged originals. Tip: I used
a Q-tip with water on it and applied it to the curled up and unglued windows and they
straightened right out and were able to be reglued in place.
I used a whole end of a luffa for the tree and put it back in the original hole.
This front post and section of fence had to be replaced." - Tom.
One incredible rescue, I would say! Thanks, Tom!-"P.T."
COINCIDENCE!
Another example of this house sold just last week on eBay.
In much better shape than the one Tom started with, it's nonetheless far
from pristine and missing both figures. It went for $125 mid-summer!
August:
ANOTHER MASTER RESTORATION
"BIG BLUE
CHURCH"
-by Tom Hull
This month completes the three giants with the 9 inch base. Again this one required total restoration and a bit of invention.
Here is the completed church I call "Big Blue."
As you can see the windows have been replicated from genuine blue cellophane, a special rule
device and a steady hand. This view also shows the cupola with clearstory windows that is the
"invention" part of the restoration as there was nothing left on the roof except a bare
piece of cardboard. The new section of fence was from a light bulb separator. A finer
corrugation can be had from Walgreens light bulbs.
The Priest was formed from my mold of the snowbaby and I added some of the Durham's rock hard
putty to form the cossack and beard.
Close up of this poor old priest and the new Papa Ted door.
Showing the back of this church and the unusual hole to allow a bulb in the tower. This is
the only instance that I have found such a hole for a tower that was a factory made one.
Often towers have had holes hacked into by owners but this is the only original tower hole I
have seen, and being on an exposed oblique this tower needed to be lit up. The hole cut with
the arched square window punch.
This is a before shot.
And this one showing the all important "footprints" where things were. On the roof is that
bare patch of cardboard that indicated something had been there. This had formerly been a
coconut house and yard with sandy blue walls.
Cleaned of the "Spray Sno" and a paper pattern for the cupola, (later cut down). Also a very
preliminary newsprint pattern for the steeple from which a white paper pattern was generated.
Lots of work went in to the restoration of this one but the result was worth it.
September:
A Coconut in Hacienda Clothing
-by
Tom Hull
This is another one that goes to show that the same house can occur in different
finishes. With minor structural differences,
it's the same basic building seen in the October,2000 House of the Month.
If anyone should doubt that the Japanese had the Southwest U.S. and Mexico in mind
when they
created the Christmas houses that collectors now call Haciendas then this mission
house should put that to rest.
This is a fairly large Hacienda as such types go measuring 7" x 4 ?" base and 5 ?" high. A
number of interesting things are going on with this building. One of the striking things is
that the left entrance wing stands in front of the center and right side of the house giving
more dimension to the building. I haven't seen this handled in quite this way on a hacienda
without a parapet of some sort "squaring" up the floor plan of the house. Certainly not
emphasized as in this one.
The finish on the building is achieved with airbrushing which is a fairly common technique on
some of the later haciendas but in this example is found a heavy application of "snow" almost
plaster like in it's thickness has been overbrushed even the parapet separating the two wings
of the building has a "drool" of snow cascading down its front.
This house has a number of features that make this particularly interesting. The cut-work
cardboard corner block edging on all corners of the front of the building are particularly
well adapted to showing well with the airbrush technique. Additionally the little balcony
though common enough in earlier coconuts is not often seen on haciendas.
Though the base is painted in a typical wet on wet technique the X punches on the fence are
particularly charming.
This close up of the balcony also shows the edge of the roof tips handpainted in red with
what is likely a Japanese writing brush.
And finally this picture shows the old gent ready to receive supplicants.
October:
Huge "Loggie"
-by Kathi
This is a wonderful loggie with beautiful fall colors. The house is original, but the base
is entirely new. I have never seen another loggie with this design, so I set the house on
the base at an angle, to best show off its unique qualities.
This loggie has the most amazing paint job, with a base color of a warm gray and three accent
colors, a moss green, orange, and dark brown. PLUS it has an "overspray" of white paint that
looks like a dusting of snow. You see that overspray sometimes on the haciendas, but it is
very rare. The roof has white coco finish.
I love the "broken gabled" roof, how the roof forms play off each other, the placement of the
chimney, all the windows, and there is even a punched round opening above the window that is
just to the left of the front door that is an interesting detail. The door has a wood step in
front of it and the front porch has a bracket support like only three other houses I have.
The base was copied from a similiar loggie house I have, and is 1" high. The overall height
of the house alone is 4". The base width is 9" and the depth is 5 3/4"."
- Kathi-
It seems the Autumn always brings us back to things like this: - log cabins, pumpkins, shocks of corn
and candles. Things so primitive, yet homey and obviously survivable (by "them," at any rate.)
I suppose it's about Thanksgiving, pilgrims, the shades of dying vegetation and such.
A mirroring of Nature.
Thank you, "Kathi," for this wonderfully appropriate selection
for October. - "P.T."
November:
Early Charcoal "GLOSS-TOP" - Mint!
-from Antoinette.
This month's "HOM" was chosen for several reasons: I LOVE the charcoal gray ones!
There were so few. For another, this is a really early house - 1930 -'31 at the latest, and
is in INCREDIBLY good shape for 75 years of age. The mica flecks in the gray stucco
fairly sparkle, and the fence - while the green has faded out, are nearly perfect otherwise.
Those rafia fence-hedges are almost always in tatters, and are tattle-tales
of the first houses to follow the "PRINTIES." The solid wood square
fence posts with their square caps are a solid proof as well. Finally, that glossy roof that
had all but disappeared by 1932.
This same house occurs as a "candy-box," too.
What a wonderful roof! And of perennial fascination to collectors is the porch roof supported
by brackets. (Antoinette has admitted to garnishing this feature with non-original Holiday
Trim. The stuff above the porch roof is not original. It's not permanently attached, so no harm
done.
Note the capped chimney - and, also, that the chimney is quite tall. This is also indicative
of the "Second Period." Later on, chimneys seldom rise above the spine of the roof - I think
for packaging reasons. The "Second Period" is my favorite for this reason. It is simply wild
with creative freedom.
Let us thank Antoinette for sharing this with us.
December:
Rare and unique "BISQUE BELL"
-from Antoinette and Tom
This month we have a very nice medium-sized prewar church. Nothing really outstanding in
either size or design, insofar as the building itself is concerned. The big news here is the
BELL! No - not in the steeple, but rather that funny-looking green squash-like blob
thing just above front door.
I would have thought a porchlite, flood light, even a shower-head, but it's not - However oddly placed,
it's a bell! A previously unfound bisque figure with the wire and everything.
Tom Hull had aquired one of these churches, too. However, both the bell and metal steeple
cross were absent. The holes were there for both and Tom didn't realize what belonged to them
until he saw Antoinette's. I think Tom made his bell himself. He does things like that. As
far as current knowledge takes us, this figure appears to occur only on this particular house
and was probably made only one year. Possibly two. Note the difference in the fence posts.
Antoinette's square wooden ones are probably a year earlier. The fences on both are strips of luffah.
I had never seen this on any but the MULTI'S, and never between posts before.
Here's a top view of Antoinette's specimen showing the structures that support the removeable
steeple.
A view of the back showing a swivel that kept a back cover on. This feature
certainly puts it earlier than 1935. Back covers had all but disappeared by then.
A final view showing Antoinette's church in it's natural habitat. Initially, I had thought
that Antoinette had replaced the crinkly rice paper windows seen in views above either side
of the door with CELs, but she's says "Not So!" I wonder why they light up red? It's another
feature that sets the piece apart. I can't recall having seen such windows before. The piece
is 6 1/2" wide,4 3/8" deep and 9" tall. She didn't say if that 9" includes the cross.
Isn't it great to have a place where we can compare and discover these things and make
our houses whole?
Happy Holidays to all! - P.T.
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Copyright 2000-2012 Theodore H. Althof,Jr.Except where noted, the contents of this website and all it's pages and submissions therein contained are the intellectual property of Theodore H.Althof,Jr. All rights are reserved. (Background musical selections are,of course, excepted.)
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