Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: heartofglass on August 31, 2007, 07:52:19 AM
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Hi all, :)
just thought you might like to check out my article on glass hand vases which has just been added to the Glass Museum.
Many thanks to Angela for all her help in editing & researching the article, & for making it look so good! :clap:
I seem to have got her hooked on hand vases too, now... >:D
Even if you're not into fanciful figural glassware, it has lots of interesting facts & for me it's a first step on that big road called "writing a book".
Enjoy!
http://www.glass.co.nz/glasshandvases.htm (http://www.glass.co.nz/glasshandvases.htm)
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Marinka, what a wonderful article! :hiclp: And what wonderful pictures, too! Thank you very much :-*
But should it only be mentioned here in the cafe? Surely it should be in the main glass forum? Or in the archives?
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Hi Leni, :)
So glad you enjoyed the article!
I wasn't sure whether to put it in the Cafe or the main forum, ended up choosing the Cafe as I felt the main forum was more for specific questions about identifying glass.
Anyway, I'm sure our excellent moderators can move it there if they feel it is appropriate.
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Well done Marinka - I'm quite surprised at the sheer diversity of these vases :o
P.S. Glad to see you were successful with your recent purchase ;)
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Wow those are amazing, thank for the details. I had never heard of hand vases and certainly never see one. Fascinating. 8)
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Hi Marinka, can I check, are you only interested in glass hand vases?
I sometimes get porcelain ones, and I'm never sure if I should let you know?
Great article btw! :hiclp:
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Magnificent article, Marinka! :hiclp:
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So glad that you are finding my article interesting...I know it's an unusual topic, but as you mentioned, David,
hand vases are so diverse.
They have been made by so many different makers, & in such a wide array of designs, for over 100 years.
When I first started collecting them back in 1995, I had no idea that I'd find so many different types, or even so many of them!
The collection was off to a slow start & it wasn't until I discovered online shopping that my collection really grew exponentially.
I have had another great addition this week, a pair of marked hand vases which will need further research, as well as an extremely rare Fenton Peach Crest hand vase.
And just a few hours ago, I won a very unusual & wonderfully kitschy 1950s Australian pottery hand vase!
I didn't even know such a vase existed. Not that there aren't loads of ceramic hand vases, from Victorian Parian ware ones to 1940-50s examples made in the U.S.A & Japan. I have a few of these, & plan to include some ceramic hand vases in my book, as I'm sure that hand collectors will pursue both glass & ceramic versions. My collection does focus on the glass ones, however.
Thanks so much for your positive responses. :)
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Nice article Marinka. Just odd that you skipped Bartholdi, who is at the origins of the craze and who held the patent for the statue and parts thereof from 1879. It sort of sets a firm starting date. Wikipedia is a nice place to start reading up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty.
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Hi Ivo,
thanks for your input. I have, in the preface to my book, began an attempt to unravel the original symbolism behind the hand vase form, & I have looked into the Statue of Liberty as a possible inspiration. However, taking into account the more concise nature of the Glass Museum articles, I felt that it was necessary to narrow my focus to the different types of hand vases, & their respective manufacturers, rather than a full historical exploration of the origins of the form.
Nevertheless, I do not intend to neglect this side of my research, as it is both extremely interesting, & somewhat contentious.
Although the Statue of Liberty has become an icon, & in my words, "the world's biggest hand vase", I feel that the origins of the form go further back into the mists of time.
My one contention, & I may be splitting hairs, is that the S.O.L holds a torch, & in general, the overwhelming majority of hand vases hold a cornucopia of some sort. There is one known hand vase (possibly a toothpick holder of U.S origin) that is actually shaped like a hand holding a flaming torch, like the S.O.L does.
Certainly, there are Classical allusions obvious in the Statue, but I have also found other Classical goddesses who were associated with, & commonly depicted as, holding aloft a cornucopia, most notably the Greek goddess Almathea, who raised Zeus, the king of the gods. In gratitude, Zeus was said to have presented her with a goat's horn that gave the possessor whatever they wished for. In Roman mythology, the cornucopia was held by Annona, also known as Abundantia, who was the symbolic representation of the harvest & abundance. Fortuna, the goddess of luck, was also depicted holding a cornucopia.
As the cornucopia is a well-known symbol of abundance, it seems to be a very appropriate piece of symbolism for a flower vase. It suggests both the abundance of nature, & for the owner, a pleasing reference to classical mythology. Victoriana is awash with sentimental (if now slightly macabre) depictions of disembodied hands in jewellery, illustrations on cards, & of course, ornamental items in glass & porcelain.
In short, I do not discount the S.O.L's importance as an iconic hand symbol, but I do not believe it to be the sole progenitor of the design.
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Wow! Marinka, I had absolutely no idea there was so much to hand vases... and so many different types. Well done of a fascinating article, and great pics. I can hardly wait to see the book now. Thank you so very much for sharing this. I'm going to move it to Glass, as Leni says above, it deserves a wider audience than the Cafe.
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:hiclp: again as so often I lack words: but: what a beautiful collection and forthcoming book, Marinka!
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Can't wait for your book on Peloton..........
M
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Fascinating. Well done Marinka :hiclp: :-*
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Thank you all so much for your compliments, I feel humbled & honored to be praised by such knowledgeble people!
Pamela, your website is so amazing (& I know you have some hand vases ;)) I'm just blown away by your kind words about my article.
As mentioned, my gratitude goes out to Angela, for inviting me to contribute, & her great efforts with helping with research.
I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to share my collection, & my passion for it, with everyone, it's very exciting. :)
That I can raise awareness of the diversity & fascinatingly quirky appeal of hand vases is a real privilege.
Marcus, :)
as for a book on Peloton glass...well I only have 32 examples of it (as opposed to over 100 hands) so perhaps it will be better off being featured in a more general survey of Victorian art glass...I certainly have enough of that to fill a book!
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The Glass Museum now has a whole new front page for the official launch of Marinka's great article on hand vases at http://www.glass.co.nz
It has been revamped with new pictures and layout and a whole set of recently published books on glass.
My congratulations to Marinka for all her work in researching and collecting these lovely vases. As she says above, I somehow found myself buying some really lovely hand vases before we had even finished the article. Must be addictive.
:hiclp:
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I did write to Marinka a couple of times about this one to see if she wanted to bid, but maybe she's away at the moment?
http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=120155320642
I assume it was LE Smith? In the final moments I stuck a bid on (knowing nothing about hand vases!), but didn't succeed in winning...just missed it. ::)
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It does look nice. Don't know if Marinka is away - but its a good time to take a holiday down here (as in mid-winter).
Be careful, Max, they are addictive!!