Vintage Blackbird Ceramic Pie Bird Pie Funnel – Black & Yellow Baking Vent – 3” Curated Shelf & Trinket Display Décor

A wonderfully petite piece of vintage kitchenalia, this glossy black ceramic blackbird pie bird features a bright yellow open beak and tiny white eye.

Pie birds — also called pie funnels, pie vents or pie chimneys — were placed in the center of a pie before the top crust was added. The hollow body allowed steam to rise through the bird and escape from its open beak, helping prevent bubbling filling and soggy pastry.

At just 3 inches tall, this little blackbird has a beautifully simple, almost Mid-Century silhouette that makes it every bit as charming on display as it is historically interesting.

Perfect for a vintage kitchen shelf, printer tray, cubby shelf, shadow box, tiered tray, collected vignette or miniature kitchenalia display.

Maker / Origin

Unmarked. The form closely resembles Japanese-made pie birds marketed by Alfred E. Knobler & Co., but without an original label I would list the maker as unknown rather than make a firm attribution.

Estimated Age

I would comfortably describe this as mid-to-late 20th century vintage, probably circa 1960s–1980s. A collector discussing a similar black-and-yellow pie bird recalled receiving one in the early 1980s, which supports that general period.

Measurements

3” H × approximately 1½” W × 1½” D

Weight: approximately 2 oz.

Condition

Very good vintage condition with glossy glaze intact. No obvious chips or cracks visible in your photographs. The unglazed foot/base and minor surface evidence are consistent with age and manufacture. Please review all photographs as they form part of the description.