Mule Pin
The braying Mule Pin was sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis and introduced in earthenware ceramic in 1999. In the latter half of that year a run of 53 black spotted mules was produced and offered for sale at various events. The run varied wildly, as the pictures below show. In 2000 a run of bay mules with mealy muzzles were offered for sale at that year's Kalamazoo Valley Live.* Also in that year a run of brown spotted mules was produced and given as gifts to 29 Pour Horse photo show entrants. In 2002 chestnut and dun pins, both without pangare and tongues (!) were offered at Amy Peck's Pour Horse photo show. In 2003 eleven sets of rainbow art glazed pins, including a dark green mule, were made for entrants of the Pour Horse photo show series. After a period of inactivity, the mold was dusted off and art glazed pins were produced. In 2015 Joanie offered "sugar skull kits" which contained bisque pins and little cups of underglazes. Customers bought the kits, decorated the pins, and returned them to Joanie to fire. Blue mottled art glazed pins were made for the Road Apples 2016 show and green mottled ones for Breakables 2017. Mule pins in a variety of other colors also exist. Click on the pictures below for larger views.
Above, examples of the first run of 53 mule pins, produced in 1999 in a wildly varied black spotted pattern. They were offered at various events.
Kalamazoo Valley Live pins, number produced unknown. The mule in the center is a test piece for the run.
Above, the brown spotted mules are from the Pour Horse Photo Show series in 2000, of which 29 were produced. The dun mules without pangare or tongues are from Amy Peck's Pour Horse Photo Show in 2002. The events at which the roan and appaloosa mules were offered is unknown.
Above, mule plaques. These were offered for sale directly by Pour Horse and no more than a couple dozen were made.
Above, mystery mule pins.
Above, one of eleven sets of rainbow art glazed pins, made for entrants of the Pour Horse photo show series in 2003.
Above right, pins from the 2015 Sugar Skull kits .Center and left, blue mottled art glazed pins for the Road Apples 2016, green mottled ones for Breakables 2017.
*Kalamazoo Valley Live was the first show to host Pour Horse collector classes and the first to receive these little pins as prizes. In 1997 they were the bay pony pins; in 1998,the Bressay head pins; and in 1999, the bay mule pins.
Photos are by Joanie Berkwitz with the following exceptions: lighter KVL pin, C. Harrington; dark bay mule pin on orange background, H. Wells; light blue plaque pin, B. Ness; green plaque pin and brown spotted pin on grey background, A. Strangan-Mayer; test KVL pin, grey and bay pins on white background, black spotted pins on blue-grey backgrounds, and dark blue plaque pin, E. Larose; black spotted pin on black background, C.Rouillard; black spotted pin on back foam background, bay mule without tongue on black foam background, group of three pins on black foam background, L. Dean; roan and bay mule pair, C. Dils. Thank you everyone!