Winkle Terra Cotta Co. unglazed figural roundel

Object/Artifact

National Building Arts Center

Front of a Winkle Terra Cotta Co. unglazed figural roundel

Front view of a matte, red, unglazed terra cotta figural roundel, with a raised circular border, and depicting a pastoral young woman holding a small bundle of flowers

Name/Title

Winkle Terra Cotta Co. unglazed figural roundel

Description

A matte, red, unglazed terra cotta figural roundel with a raised circular border and depicting a pastoral young woman holding a small bundle of flowers. The back has a small lip for a base and a manufacturer's stamp, and there are two holes on either side of the base, likely for mounting on a wall.

Use

Promotional object, used for the purpose of advertising the Winkle Terra Cotta Co., to deliver samples of their work to potential customers/clients, or to represent products they sold. This was likely a salesman's sample, and the glazed and unglazed roundels might have been used to show the options for customers looking to order ornamental terra cotta.

Collection

Promotional object displays

Made/Created

Manufacturer

The Winkle Terra Cotta Co.

Time Period

19th Century, 20th Century

Place

City

St. Louis

State/Province

Missouri

Country

United States of America

Continent

North America

Notes

The company began as the Joseph Winkle Terra Cotta works, but in 1889, the business was incorporated under the title of The Winkle Terra Cotta Co. Thus, the roundel is likely from after 1889.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Makers Mark

Location

Back of the roundel, towards the bottom

Transcription

"The Winkle Terra Cotta Co., St. Louis, MO"

Language

English

Material/Technique

Stamped

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Ornament, Wall

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Ornament, Surface

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Surface Elements

Nomenclature Class

Building Components

Nomenclature Category

Category 01: Built Environment Objects

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Terra-cotta

Dimensions

Depth

3 cm

Diameter

20 cm

Parts

Count

Parts

Roundel

Material

terra cotta

Color

Red

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Condition Type

Fracture, Crack, Dust / Particulate Matter

Date Examined

Jul 29, 2026

Examined By

Elena Marshall

Cleanliness

The crevices of the roundel has some accumulated dust, and the back of the roundel has some gray material stuck onto the edge of the base/lip.

Surface

The surface is in good condition, but there are some cracks or fractures around the outline of the female figure, but do not carry through to the back of the roundel and are only on the front face.

Structure

Structure is intact.

Research Notes

Research Type

Researcher

Person

Elena Marshall

Date

Jul 29, 2026

Web Links and URLs

Article taken from a 1904 edition of the journal "Brick" about the Winkle Terra Cotta Co.

Notes

(See Made/Created)

Create Date

July 29, 2026

Update Date

July 29, 2026