In Twin Peaks Part 4 on Showtime, Dougie Jones enjoys breakfast with his son Sonny Jim in his home kitchen. Perched on a counter behind Dougie and Sonny Jim was a brightly colored owl which quickly became something I had to own.
OWL COOKIE JAR FROM JONES’ HOUSE
I’ve collected owl figurines for years ever since my aunt gave me a small cross-stitched image of one when I was very young. Of course, the number of owls in my collection greatly increased after I discovered Twin Peaks in fall 1993.
To find this owl, I searched for “Owl Cookie Jar” on Google. Following a series of links, I determined the item was manufactured by Mesa Home Products.
According to their website, “Mesa was founded in New England (possible Warner, New Hamshipre) more than 25 years ago by a ceramic artist who was inspired to bring country living into the American home. Today, we have grown into a design center that influences the latest trends in home fashions.”
Sadly, it appears the company is no longer in business. The last post from their former Facebook page was from 2017.
I searched for the owl on the company’s now defunct website, but it appeared the item was no longer manufactured. So I turned to eBay where a search for “Mesa Home Products Owl Cookie Jar” returned an auction from 2014 of a similar jar which sold for about $50.
The cookie jar may have been part of a Hoot Owl collection first introduced in August 2012. These products were sold at Kroger Grocery stores, TJ Maxx or Marshall’s.
I patiently waited for a few weeks for another auction to appear. On October 11, 2017, I instantly purchased one for $21 (plus shipping).
The ceramic cookie jar measures about 8.5-inches tall and is stamped with a Mesa Home Product logo on the bottom. The item was made in China.
The top of the owl’s head is removable and the inside can store a lot of cookies. While it’s not a screen used prop, I was thrilled to add this one to my ever growing Twin Peaks replica prop collection.
APPEARANCES IN TWIN PEAKS
The first time we see the cookie jar is in Twin Peaks Part 4 when Sonny Jim moves a kitchen chair for his dad, Dougie Jones.
It’s in the background while the two of them enjoy pancakes during Part 4. It’s also in the background when Dougie spits out his coffee (as seen in the image near top).
Just before Dougie Jones reviews the case files in Part 6, you can spot an out-of-focus owl cookie jar in the distance.
As Dougie waits for chocolate cake, we can see the owl cookie jar in the background of Part 15.
The final appearance is when Janey-E Jones screams in the kitchen after Dougie electrocutes himself in Part 15.
I bought this Cookie Jar for $5 a month ago… around the same day I decided to start watching Twin Peaks on Hulu. I started The Return two days after this arrived. Coincidence?
@Lil – Aces! What a find. To paraphrase a certain Special Agent, “When two separate events occur simultaneously pertaining to the same object of inquiry, we must always pay strict attention.”