Heirlooms

Week 8 in the #52ancestors challenge is looking at heirlooms. I didn’t really think I had anything handed down to me from my grandparents but after chatting to my mum who has been in hospital and rehab over the last three months, I found out about these pieces of carnival glass that were from her parents. I actually thought a couple of pieces were from my father’s mother but maybe I was wrong about that.

I can’t find any makers marks on them but they all seem to be marigold colour.  The vases look like they are swung – started as a tumbler then stretched or swung while still hot. I found a website about carnival glass but as many manufacturers used the same patterns and colours it can be hard to distinguish who made what, especially if no makers marks.

The large basket or bowl in the second image has ball feet on it, but I have noticed some large cracks through the base probably when it has been put down on a table. This is extremely heavy which might have also caused cracks when put on a table.

One of the vases is a lot heavier than the other and both have different patterns.

Northwood glass usually has a makers mark, but Fenton glass only from the 1970s. These are probably the two companies my glass came from as far as I can work out.

Readers: Do any of you know how to easily check carnival glass to work out who made it, what pattern it is and when was it made?

 

 

2 thoughts on “Heirlooms

  1. I have something which I think of as a family heirloom. I am considering handing it down to my Gran-daughter as she is the only one who has displayed any interest in it…… It is a glass blue fish….. Positioned on it’s back tail partly curled over…..The two fins are used as legs.. The mouth is wide open facing upwards and for as long as I can remember (now in my eighties) it was brought out only at Christmas time and had it’s mouth filled with either sugar coated ginger or jellybeans……. Friends have said ‘hand it on now’ and see the look on her face……..

  2. The most precious thing we can leave our Munchkins with is Memories of all the great times we spent together. Recently I went to the library and borrowed a DVD titled Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, it cost nothing except my time. Together my two and a half year old Grandie and I watched it twenty times straight. So I bought her the book and sent it to her family. They said you are crazy Ma Ma, but they read it with all the ‘dramatical’ emphasis on words just as I did. Baby knew all the words and when the dark clouds appeared in the sky, she whispered Ma Ma oh no! the dragon is coming. Simply priceless. Share the treasures now, why miss out on all the fun brief moments offer. Regards Marg

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