My son Michael Fincken has asked me to tell you all I know about the beautiful tiles on the wall of the Post Office at Sabie which is actually very little as I would have been just four years old at the time they were created in 1937.
Sabie Post Office
My late wife saw a reference to them on a TV programme in 1990 and we saw them for ourselves during a trip later that year. As far as I can ascertain, The Ceramic Studio where the tiles were created, was at the Cullinan Refractories at Olifantsfontein where my Mother used to work occassionally while on vacation. Her maiden name was Pope-Ellis and she was born on 30th May 1894 at Hilton Road in Natal, as it was called in those days. She died at Umzumbe, South Coast, Natal on 26th March 1973.
Tile Details
Ceramic Tile Signature
I know that she trained at the Berlin Acadamy of Fine Arts and The Slade in London during the 1920′s and worked mainly in Capetown executing various public works for the General Post Office and other bodies. The lifesize Storks on the Maternity Section at Groote-Schuur Hospital in Capetown were created by her at that time and they are still there and much admired by all who enter that well known section of the Hospital.
Ceramic Studio Tile
She was a prominent member of The New Group of South African artists, and her participation in that movement is referred to in the book by Esme Berman,”Art and Artists in South Africa”. Her exhibitions of water colour paintings and sculptures executed in stone and bronze were always a sellout. I now have only a few of her works in my possession to pass on to my heirs.
Ceramic Studio
One of her notable creations called “The Spirit of Africa” was purchased by the then Governor-General of South Africa, Lord Clarendon who presented the work to South Africa House in London where as far as I am aware it still stands to this day.
More Ceramic Studio
Mum and Dad married in 1932 after which her output decreased, especially after purchasing a farm in the Natal Midlands in about 1940. They retired to the Natal Coast in 1969, my Father passing away in 1972 shortly before my Mother in 1973.
That is really about all I know about Mom’s art works which were a major part of my early life in Capetown where I used to spend time in her studio which was on the Foreshore. I used to play around with the clay etc, whenever I was allowed, which was almost daily !
Ian Fincken
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