Beautiful 6 inch square tile of a stylized Navajo bird on a turquoise glazed background with the original cork backing. This was created at Desert House Crafts of Tucson, which was owned by Bebe and Don Lotz and showcased the tile work of Gila Pottery made by Bob and Charmion McKusick in the 1950's.

It is in near perfect condition with some crazing and a corner of the edge slighly worn. There are imperfections that are normal for a handmade artisan piece such as a very small spot where the glaze didn't cover completely. You can see it in the photos near the bird's head.

Please ask if you have any questions. Thank you.

It's not every day that I decide to include an obituary in my listing for an item, but considering the artist and her life well lived, I thought I would share this one. I found it quite interesting and sweet. Hopefully, you will, too.

In Memoriam: Charmion Fay (Fitz) Randolph McKusick

2022-11-15 11:29:53

1931–2022

On March 26, 2022, Charmion Fay (Fitz) Randolph McKusick passed away at the age of 90 in Globe, Arizona. Charm lived a long, vibrant, and wonderful life surrounded by family, friends, pets, and wildlife in Kellner Canyon. An important contributor to the anthropology, archaeology, and especially the zooarchaeology of the American Southwest, she will be sorely and sincerely missed by many—including her surviving pet parrot. Charm was born to Sylvia Miller and Frederick Travis Randolph on July 16, 1931, in Waukegan, Illinois. Her close childhood caregivers, the Frank Gustishas family from Austria, taught Charm farming and dairying from an early age. Often found sailing on Lake Michigan—her love of the outdoors never ceased—Charm was single-handedly responsible for integrating both the Prom Committee and the Dolphins (a girls’ swimming club) during high school. She was graduated as valedictorian of the Waukegan Township High School Class of 1949.

In September 1949, Charm began her undergraduate coursework at the University of Arizona. Her interest in people and animals immediately drew her to anthropology. On her first day at the University of Arizona, she was studying anthropology by 7:00 a.m.; she met her future husband, Robert T. McKusick, at 7:00 p.m. during the Freshman Mixer. Charm and Robert married in 1951, and Charm received her BA (with distinction) in 1953. By the end of that year, Charm and Robert were living at their home in Kellner Canyon with a herd of milk goats. Their family continued to grow in the years that followed, adding three children, Kathleen, Stephani, and Robert, as well as many companion animals.

Charm’s career was filled with just about as much as you can possibly do in a lifetime. She worked in the family ceramic business designing tiles for “McKusick Tiles” (also known as “Gila Pottery”). During the 1960s, she began working for Lyndon L. Hargrave as a contract laboratory assistant at Gila Pueblo, analyzing avian bones from archaeological sites. By 1968 she was a permanent employee at the US National Park Service, Western Archaeological and Conservation Center (then Southwest Archaeological Center [SAC]) in Globe. At one point she received the US Department of the Interior’s Superior Performance Award with the regional director stating, “Your enthusiasm is an inspiration to the center staff.” Eventually, the SAC moved to Tucson, but Charm stayed in Globe, teaching at Gila Pueblo College (for nearly 20 years) while also developing the Southwest Bird Laboratory.

Over the course of her career, Charm identified, catalogued, drew, analyzed, and published thousands and thousands of bird bones—a number unmatched in American Southwest archaeology. Her work shaped the field of Southwest zooarchaeology, particularly when it comes to avian remains; the recent “Revisiting Birds in the Southwest” issue from Archaeology Southwest magazine (2022, Vol. 35, Nos. 1–2) is dedicated to her and includes her last written and published article, “A Retrospective on Avian Archaeology.” At least two of Charm’s publications remain foundational texts: Southwest Indian Turkeys: Prehistory and Comparative Osteology (1986) and Southwest Birds of Sacrifice (2001) are key resources for Southwest archaeologists. In addition, Charm was a remarkable artist: she created over 300 Southwest bird and animal designs for ceramics over the course of her lifetime, and her illustrations are featured in publications such as Shelling in the Sea of Cortez (Paul E. Violette, 1964), The Warrior Apaches (Gordon C. Baldwin, 1965), Feathers from Sand Dune Cave (Lyndon L. Hargrave, 1970), and The Mexican Macaws (Lyndon L. Hargrave, 1970).

Charm loved her archaeological research, birds, and the joys and successes of her students. She was always willing to share her copious knowledge with anyone who asked, from a freshman undergraduate student to the most seasoned professional, and remained an important resource and mentor for Southwest zooarchaeologists through her final days. Her loss is felt deeply in the Southwest archaeological community.

Charm is survived by a brother and his wife, two daughters and their families, a son and his wife, six grandchildren, and two great-grandson