The Grand Ledge Clay Lion

One fascinating aspect of the clay tile factories was the tradition of clay folk art. In their spare time, workers would use excess bits of clay to create works of art for themselves. The most common and best known are the Grand Ledge Lions. These were made using molds to get the basic form, and then the worker would add his own touches to make it unique. Long-time Clay Products worker, Harry Poole described the process:

“Just before noon some fellows would take some clay and pack the molds tightly. We would then set the molds aside until the next day when we would take the lion out of the mold and smooth it all over by licking your thumb. Some guys put tongues in their lions by using a knife to make the mouth open and then rolling molding clay. The paws, tail and mane were fixed by using a knife or pencil. Then the lion was placed on a sand-covered board and put in the kiln with the tile.”

Each worker would add his own touches to the basic lion shape. Some were left simple, while others had tongues or textured manes. The bases were often decorated with flutes or the makers name or initials and a date. Some lions were turned into banks or bookends.

Beyond lions, a wide variety of other animals were also made. The Historical Society has a wonderful collection of these. Snakes, alligators, lambs, mice, dogs, bears, turtles and frogs all show the creativity of the worker-artisans.

Sometimes we see practical items like ash trays or match stick holders. Indian Heads and Egyptian motifs were also seen. Every now and then, a worker took an entire wet clay tile and embellished it. These tiles were most often turned into umbrella stands made to look like tree trunks with the addition of wonderful bark and even small creepy crawly creatures.

Clay was so important in the lives of these workers, that some made large clay urns or other objects to be used as grave markers. These can still be seen in Oakwood Cemetery today.

Grand Ledge Lions and all of these objects are treasured and collected today. If any of these items are found for sale they bring good prices. Lions that once sold for 50 cents can sell for hundreds of dollars today.