Remember the story about the "one that got away" that you told as a child?  Well, here is one fish you will HOPE you never catch!

NM Fish Flower Holder
It was recently brought to our attention by a fellow McCoy Collector, Dianna, that the NM fish flower holder may have become the next victim in the world of reproductions.   

Dianna purchased this NM Fish Flower Holder from an antique shop, but when she compared it to the one she had at home, she realized that her new find was probably a reproduction.

Unfortunately, these reproductions are looking more and more like the real thing.  Look at the mold detail.  Normally, the mold is much more "dull" on a reproduction than on an original, but this doesn't seem to be the case in the photo above.

Comparison Chart
 

Real

Reproduction
Height 3 1/4" 3"
Length 4 1/4" 3 3/4"
Markings NM NM
Weight Heavy Light
Color Varies BRIGHT white
Clay Color beige grey

minifish2.jpg (20859 bytes)

Click photo to enlarge
The repo piece, as with most reproductions, doesn't measure up to the original.  The original flower holder measures 3 1/4" high x 4 1/4" long.  The reproduction one measures 3" high and 3 3/4" long.  It is also lighter in weight.  The color is slightly off.  If you look closely, the reproduction piece (the one on the right) is a brighter white than the typical NM white glaze.  Finally, and perhaps the biggest "give-a-way" that this piece probably isn't the "real McCoy"  is the color of the clay.

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Click photo to enlarge
Typically, clay that came off the Ohio River has an off-white, beige or yellow cast to it.  If you look closely at the picture to the left, you will see that they both have dry bottoms, but the piece on the right (which we believe is a reproduction) has a grey clay.
Please note, that although all the "signals" are there that scream REPRODUCTION, there is always the possibility that this piece we are calling reproduction may have actually been made from a slightly smaller mold.  That wouldn't account for the different glaze color or the different clay color, but it is a possibility.  HOWEVER......unlike most of the reproductions that we are seeing lately, this piece is NOT showing up yet in large quantities on the online auctions, which is typical for other reproduced pieces.  Perhaps it was not created by the same company producing the reproduction wall pockets and Uncle Sam planters.  So be careful!  When you are out shopping, and you find one of these little charmers......if it looks a little "fishy," don't bait your hook......unless the price is right!

Thanks to Dianna for bringing our attention to this!