Posted 5 years ago
IronLace
(928 items)
From the monthly antiques fair comes this rather fantastical Victorian glass basket. It's a solid piece, heavy in weight, & bold in form, despite the delicate colour.
Made from a single layer of pale blue opalescent glass, the basket has a spherical form, decorated with rustic thorn pull - outs. There is a clear applied rigaree made from pincer - work daisies around the top rim, & a matching daisy patterned footed base. The clear applied handle is deeply ribbed, studded with more thorny pull - outs.
It measures around 21 cm at the top of the handle, 11 cm across the top rim, & 11 cm across the base, which has a rough, snapped pontil mark. The pontil scar was covered up by one of those felt dots that one puts under furniture legs - I guess to stop it potentially scratching a table top. As I think of pontil marks as being rather like the belly button of a piece of glass, I had to remove it!
I think possibly English, but not 100% certain. Found a similiar, smaller basket last year in my local op shop.
Last photo is of another example of blue gorgeousness - Rhododendron Augustinii. I got this a year ago, & now it's in bloom.
My favourite colour of Rhododendron.Beautiful!The basket ,of course ,too with the lacy rim.This gives it more lightness.
Many thanks, Ivonne! I totally agree that the rigaree adds a dainty touch to this heavy basket. And I'm thrilled to be able to grow flowers like this blue rhododendron at last, due to moving to a cool, mountainous climate. I have another one, a dwarf variety called Blue Admiral, which is just beginning to flower. And soon I'll be planting many more, because I simply adore them!
Life in the mountains seems so good IL! I'm happy for you.
And you still get to collect lovelies like this.
Thanks so much, racer - yes, I'm loving it here, but still easy for me to get down to Sydney when I need to!
Hi Iron lace could you drop me a line some time ..Regards Marty
Will be in touch shortly, Marty...