Final firing from Gus’s boat shed • In 9 active carts • 21 left
Gus's Hand-Painted Duck Soap Dish
Gus's Hand-Painted Duck Soap Dish
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Gus's Hand-Painted Duck Soap Dish
Pinched and painted by hand in a Chesapeake Bay boat shed since 1987
Gus Tilghman, 74, of Havre de Grace, Maryland, has shaped a mallard or a swan out of clay onto every one of these little pond dishes for 38 years. Arthritis in both thumbs has ended the work. These are his last 214.
“My father made ducks for the water. I made one for my mother’s sink. She kept it there for 31 years. That’s where these belong — not behind glass.”
Gus Tilghman · Havre de Grace, Maryland
What comes in the box
Mallard or Swan, glazed ceramic
Reeds, ripples and little fish inside
About 7 by 5½ inches
Packed carefully, ready to give
What makes Gus’s duck dish different
The duck or swan is shaped from the same piece of clay as the dish. It is not glued on, so it stays put in the bathroom or by the sink.
Painted in the colors Gus’s father used on his wooden decoys: green head, white neck ring, speckled chest. About 40 brush strokes on the head alone.
The pond inside is raised, with little waves, reeds and fish. A bar of soap rests on top of them instead of sitting in a puddle.
Glazed and fired twice. Water can’t soak in, and a quick wipe keeps it clean.
Rings by the kitchen sink, keys by the front door, a few candies on the coffee table. People find their own use for it.
The first one sat by Gus’s mother’s sink for 31 years. Most of his dishes are bought for a mother or a grandmother.
“Havre de Grace has carved decoys for more than a hundred years, and you learn to spot the real thing. On a good decoy, the head has life in it — the tilt of the neck, the ring of white, the green that changes in the light. Gus has brought exactly that onto clay. These little dishes belong to the same tradition, just made for a kitchen instead of a marsh.”
Margaret Ellery · Retired museum educator · 22 years teaching decoy history on the Upper Chesapeake
Choose your bird
Perfect for
Why Gus’s duck dish lasts
- Real glazed ceramic. Solid and heavy, not plastic or resin.
- One-piece bird. Shaped with the dish, never glued on.
- Fired twice. Water doesn’t soak in, the colors don’t wash off.
- Raised pond floor. Soap drains instead of sitting in water.
- Made to be used. Some of Gus’s dishes have sat by the same sink for 30 years.
If it doesn’t make you smile by the sink, one email to info@cedarandtinco.com is enough. Gus would rather have it back than have it sit in a drawer.
Good to know: Every bird is shaped and painted by hand, so the colors and the pond can differ slightly from dish to dish. No two are exactly alike. Bigger than most people expect — a full bar of soap fits with room to spare.
Product details
| Contents | 1 oval pond dish with a hand-shaped bird |
| Material | Glazed ceramic, fired twice |
| Designs | Mallard (yellow rim) · Swan (pink rim) |
| Size | About 7.2 × 5.7 in, 2.8–3 in tall with the bird (18.3 × 14.5 × 7–7.6 cm) |
| Use | Soap, rings, keys, candies, trinkets |
| Care | Rinse with warm water, wipe dry |
| Made by | Gus Tilghman, Havre de Grace, Maryland — final firing, 214 remaining |
| Made so far | More than 6,000 since 1987 |
The Last Firing
The Last Firing
A note from the boat shed:
Gus Tilghman has made his little pond dishes in an old boat shed on the Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace, Maryland, since 1987. His father carved wooden duck decoys for 41 years — Gus made his ducks out of clay instead. Every mallard and every swan is pinched by hand from the same piece of clay as the dish, then painted and fired twice. The very first one sat by his mother’s kitchen sink for 31 years. More than 6,000 dishes later, arthritis in both thumbs no longer lets him shape the bird’s neck. 214 dishes are left from his final firing, Mallards and Swans together. When they are gone, there will be no more.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 5–8 business days
- Every dish is carefully packed and sent with tracking
- Size: about 7.2 × 5.7 in, 2.8–3 in tall with the bird (18.3 × 14.5 × 7–7.6 cm)
- A full bar of soap fits with room to spare
- Glazed ceramic, fired twice
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@cedarandtinco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm. Whether it’s about your order, Mallard or Swan, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Put it by your sink, live with it for a few weeks, and if it isn’t right for you, email info@cedarandtinco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Gus shapes each dish and pinches the duck or swan from the same piece of clay, so the bird is never glued on. He paints the pond, the reeds and the bird by hand and fires every dish twice — about six hours of work per dish. That is why no two dishes look exactly alike.