Topic: Walsh Vesta Venetian Apothecary Jar in Orange / Opalescent

[Bernard C]

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John Walsh Walsh Vesta Venetian Pedestal Bath Salts in Orange / Opalescent This bath salts has the standard Walsh Vesta Venetian rib count of 18/18, as you would expect for the main jar, and the same rib count for the lid, not always the case.   The main jar was shaped using a two-part wooden shape mould, as I have another example of this bath salts in blue / opalescent, and the main jar element is identical in shape and size.   It is possible that all Walsh Vesta Venetian was shaped in this way as it explains how the projecting ribs are always transferred to the inside.   See here for images of a similar process. Height — Overall 15", 38cm;  jar 10¾", 27.2cm;  lid 5", 12.7cm. Weight — Overall 1lb 13¼oz, 828g;  jar 1lb 4½oz, 582g;  lid 8¾oz, 246g. See here for a discussion on a similarly coloured example of Vesta Venetian.   In particular:- ... later a much brighter orange was used and this was apparently temperature sensitive as was the Kügler red they [Monart] used. The orange shading from yellow through oranges and red is rarely found consistent through a single piece, often shading to orangey-red. If this Walsh clear orange was temperature sensitive, you would expect the colour inside the much thicker lid to be more concentrated and deeper than the colour inside the jar, although Frank made the cautionary comment by email after a preview of these images that it could be a replacement lid, always a possibility, but, I think, unlikely.   See:-       I believe the case for this Walsh orange being a temperature sensitive glass reasonably well-established by this piece, although more examples would be useful. Thanks to Frank for his input.

... and finally ...

I bought this bath salts on eBay from seller annicksantiques, based in Tasmania!   It was posted surface mail on 23rd May 2008 and arrived on 9th October, 4½ months later by surface mail to keep the cost (and carbon footprint) to a minimum.   It was beautifully packed in excess of postal recommendations.   As it's too late for feedback, I felt that I could compensate for this in a small way by praising and recommending the seller here.

Bernard C. 

[krsilber]

That is absolutely gorgeous, Bernard.  Beautiful photos and post, too.  Congratulations on its arrival!  Four and a half months is a long time to wait.

[Bernard C]

Kristi — Thanks.

Please would anyone on a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or smaller please accept my apologies for the scrolling bar that appears.   It won't happen again. 

A supplementary query:-

Has anyone any ideas of a name for or possible origin of this eclectic shape?

Bernard C. 

[Ivo]

Has anyone any ideas of a name for or possible origin of this eclectic shape?

it is derived from an apothecary jar.

[Anne]

How interesting, I've not seen apothecary jars before  - what sort of era are those Ivo?

I've been watching this with interest as my Mother has what appears to be, from reading this topic, the bottom part of the same sort of jar as Bernard's one - but hers is turquoise blue ribbed, no opalescence, and I've always wondered who might have made that - it's not as pretty as Bernard's Walsh one for sure.

[Ivo]

I'm not really sure. I've consulted with US dealers who recognise the shape and colour as pharmacy jars, but I've never seen these in Europe (not even in the fabulous Pharmacy museum in Heidelberg castle). Mine do not look old - but that says nothing. It does make sense though: small footprint large capacity, dark grey glass to shelter from the light. So I'd say late 19th century.

[chloe]

Sorry to sound dense, but the original piece - it was for putting bath salts in?  Would they have come with bath salts in, or would they be to 'house' presents?  And how would the bath salts have been used from there?  Would there have been a matching scoop or something?  Just it seems a bit delicate to just tip over a bath!

[Bernard C]

Ivo — Thanks.   You've opened up a whole new field to me, and, I suspect, to others.   Previously I had thought of apothecary jars only as those giant onion-shaped jars filled with coloured water in old pharmacy windows.   Rambling around the internet, I discovered that they first appeared in Baghdad in the late Middle Ages, hence the Oriental appearance.   Note the rudimentary string ring, originally for tying on the lid prior to sealing with wax.

Chloe — Bath salts was just a guess, hopefully reasonably well-informed, taking account of the mid–late 1920s date.   The alternative is that they were purely ornamental, as Vesta Venetian looks wonderful on a sunny windowsill with its fiery opalescence.   My OH tells me that most wouldn't have bothered using a measure, just tipping in approximately the right quantity to soften the water.

Bernard C. 

[Anne]

Thanks Ivo most interesting. As Bernard says, a whole new area for me too beyond those huge onion-domed ones we are used to seeing. The Pharmacy Museum has a website: http://www.deutsches-apotheken-museum.de/englisch/index-en.php with an online tour - sounds well-worth checking out, thank you.

[JC]

 Just to add another use from Australia,
I have seen these type of jars used to store  cotton balls.Popular back in the 70's. I can not remember if they were sold with the cotton balls in them or whether you bought both sperately. 
Julie