Archive for January, 2022

Glass candle holder with rustic metal repair, c.1870

Saturday, January 29th, 2022

This pressed flint glass candle holder measures 7 inches high and has a hexagonal base. Although I have difficulty accurately dating glassware, I believe this is an example of American flint glass from the mid to late 1800s. If anyone can more accurately identify it, I would be most appreciative.

As you can imagine, the reason I purchased this candlestick is because of the rustic iron metal replacement top and bobeche, added many years ago when the original broke off. The repair is crude and most likely done at home, using whatever materials were at hand. Looks like it did the trick, as the top reveals many years of continued use. Bravo to the unsung repairer who made-do, allowing the broken candle holder to function again, rather than simply tossing it into the waste bin.

This pair of similarly shaped candle holders suggest what mine might have looked like when it was still intact.

Photo courtesy of Charlie Bordewich

Lowestoft pearlware jug, c.1780

Sunday, January 23rd, 2022

I spotted this diminutive pear-shaped sparrow beak cream jug in an antiques shop in Dublin, Ireland in 2015. It is decorated with the Pagoda and Trees pattern, hand rendered in cobalt blue underglaze. A delicate lattice border embellishes the inside rim. Made in England by the Lowestoft factory around 1775-1785, the jug stands 3 inches high and has an incised number 4 on the underside.

After the original handle broke off over 200 years ago, a tinker made a metal replacement supported with horizontal and vertical straps, much like an iron girdle. Although the small but mighty jug is in poor condition, I felt compelled to rescue it and bring it back to America, where it now lives among friends with similar battle scars. 

This jug with similar form and decoration shows what the original handle on mine might have looked like.

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Photo courtesy of English Porcelain Online