There’s not much I know about this little gem of a free-blown glass vase, which measures 5-3/4″ high. It has become a favorite of mine, due to its delicate form and beautiful cranberry color. A turned wood base replaces the long-gone glass base.
This clear glass trumpet vase shows what the original glass base on my vase might have looked like.
Photo courtesy of Skinner
In America, lustreware became popular in mid-19th century. During the Victorian period, a certain dinner party fad was to place lustreware pieces on a mirrored platform as a table centerpiece and watch the glow of gaslight sparkle and shimmer. This sturdy little pepper pot from England stands 4-3/4″ high.
The warm tone of the replaced carved wood base matches the copper color glaze.
This form is a copy of an 18th c. Georgian silver pepper pot.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Douglas
American cut glass was first produced in 1771 by the American Flint Glass Manufactory in Manheim, PA. The heyday of brilliant cut glass in America was in the 1880’s, after the public viewed the latest designs on display at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
Every facet of this 7-1/4″ tall wine glass has been cut by hand.
The painted wooden base with a whimsical stepped design, is a replacement created sometime in the early 1900’s.
Before the goblet broke in to two pieces, it would have had a faceted glass base, as shown here.
A surprising blend of cultures merge when this English cast brass candlestick was attached to a carved Brazil nut pod, after the brass base broke off.
Candle holder with replacement base stands 6.75 inches tall and the repair was most likely done in South America in the early 1900s.
This typical brass candle holder shows what the original base might have looked like.
Photo courtesy of Denhams
Photo courtesy of The Spice Necklace
When this German porcelain woman’s pipe with applied flowers broke, the bowl was mounted on to a simple wood base, transforming it in to a 5-3/4″ tall vase.
This Austrian hand painted ceramic pipe is shown with its original wood stem.
Photo courtesy of Tobacco Collection
This pressed glass goblet was made by Gillinder & Co. for the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 as a commemorative souvenir. It is embossed with the Liberty Bell on one side and and printed “Declaration of Independence, 100 Years Ago, 1776-1876” on the other side.
Goblet measures 7-3/4″ high.
After the glass was most likely dropped and the original glass base shattered, a refined turned mahogany wood replacement base was attached.
This complete identical goblet shows what the glass base looked like.
Photo courtesy of Ruby Lane
A free blown clear glass whale oil lamp, made in America in the early 1800’s, measures 7-1/2″ high.
As lamps were used daily, it is not unusual to see examples with replacement bases, such as this simple one made of wood.
This similar oil lamp still has its original elaborately molded base.
Photo courtesy of Comollo Antiques
Pair of candle holders with mercury-filled double-walled glass and cold painted with white enamel floral decoration. Mercury glass was first patented in 1849 in England, where it was often referred to as “poor man’s silver”.
I have never seen another example of mercury glass with an inventive repair. Someone did a fine repair job outfitting these broken candle holders, each measuring 6-3/4″ high, with silver painted wood bases.
The pair of bases are nicely painted, even on the bottoms.
Intact bases are shown below on this similar pair of 19th century French candlesticks.
Photo courtesy of Foret
A well worn English miniature cannon from the late 19th century shows it was much loved for many years. A Victorian boy perhaps found this under his Christmas tree and played with it until the delicate base became detached, leaving the sturdy cannon barrel abandoned.
The boy’s father, grandfather, friend, or the boy himself must have whittled the crude base out of a piece of scrap wood and attached the iron barrel using two pieces of heavy wire. A coat of brown paint completed the repair and although the cannon looks nothing at all like the unbroken original, it is still highly functional and no doubt brought joy to the original owner.
Cannon in its new incarnation with replacement wood base measures 6-1/2″ long.
The underside reveals pitted metal wire and and an unfinished wood surface.
This toy cast iron ship’s signal cannon from the early 1800’s shows what the original base on my cannon might have looked like.
Photo courtesy of Land and Sea Collection
There are many variations of this double finger oil lamp, made of pressed glass by Ripley & Company in Pittsburgh, PA. This 8″ high lamp has a lovely yellow patina in the oil reservoir from many years of use.
It was not uncommon for oil lamps to snap off at the base. As a result, I have come across many examples over the years with a variety of wood and metal replacement bases.
This wood replacement base was carved in a curious manner.
“Ripley & Co. Patd Jan 7, June 14, Aug 11, 1868” is marked on bottom of the intact base of this lamp.
Photo courtesy of eCRATER