Every spring, the woods fill up with promises. Buds, shoots, a lot of fuss about renewal. The Green Man has watched this show for a thousand years. He knows what happens in March, and he's seen the frost come back anyway.

So he's keeping his eyes half-lidded and his mouth in a flat, level line. A sprout is growing out of his brow and down his nose like a taproot.... and still, he reserves judgment.

He's an old figure, found carved into cathedral stonework and garden walls across Europe, usually with foliage pouring out of his face. I wanted one who had opinions. His face is bare red stoneware, left unglazed so you can see the clay itself, warm and flushed like skin. The arabesque leaves around him are glazed in mossy greens that pool and break over the carving. Behind the glaze you'll find streaks of iron-rust brown where the clay peeks through, like old growth settling in.

He'll guard a brick wall, a garden gate, or a porch. He's equally good indoors above a mantel or a desk, silently reviewing your life choices. He needs a home where he can glower in peace.

Details

Size: 11.25" W x 11.75" H, about ½" thick

Weight: 8.25 lbs

Material: red stoneware, fired to cone 6; glaze on the foliage, bare clay on the face

Four mounting holes, one in each corner

Made for indoors or out. I've made dozens of tiles like this for outdoor house numbers, and they've held up through Hudson Valley winters. My own hangs on my garage and has weathered several Pennsylvania winters.

One of a kind, handmade, handcarved by me in PA.

Mounting

Four corner holes let you mount him securely. Because he weighs nearly 8.5 lbs, use all four points with anchors rated for the weight of your wall type. Keep metal from touching the clay: line each hole with silicone or use rubber washers, and snug the screws without cranking them down. Ceramic is strong in compression, but it dislikes point stress.

The easiest and best mounting method is a pack of rubber or neoprene washers --or a short piece of vinyl tubing slit down the side-- from any hardware store.

(PS the white spot on the back is where a bit of kiln wash came off the kiln shelf and stuck to it. Doesn't hurt the integrity or strength of the tile and can't be seen from the front when mounted.)

Feel free to contact me directly if you’d like a special tile made for your home. Want it to feature your house number? Let me know what you’re thinking and please remember that the item will take several weeks from start to finish.