My Auntie Beehive loved decorative art glass. She had two large pieces which occupied pride of place in her living room. "My EYEtalian glass," she always called them.
The first was a shallow orange bowl with two enormous asymmetrical arms spreading out for a total wingspan of at least three feet. It sat on a doily on the hi-fi. It was a truly spectacular piece of hand-blown glass.
While I have no trouble remembering the first piece of art glass, my mind is fuzzier about the second piece. (In my defence, it has been at least 30 years since I laid eyes on them.) To the best of my memory, the second piece was a large, blue, vase-like affair which sat (again on a doily) on a mahogany drop-leaf table. I don't think it impressed me as much.
For this post, I scoured the vintage art glass sites on the internet, hoping to find photos of that particular style of Venetian or Murano glass. But alas! The above photo is the only one that gives even a faint suggestion of the glory that was my Auntie Beehive's EYEtalian glass.
Looks like exotic glassware. My mother liked Blue Mountain ceramic ware and had several pieces in the living room with some 'depression era' rose coloured glassware. Funny how one remembers these pieces in vivid detail.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten about the use of the doily. Yes...they were used for all sorts of things, especially to "showcase" art. Fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes ... especially the Eyetalian and what did we ever do without a doily?!!!!! I use two on a kitchen counter so they aren't scratched by the uneven bases of some ceramic bowls that I have....hmmmmm.......
ReplyDeleteBeautiful glass. And yes, doilies. I haven't used one in so long. I've a bag full washed and starched in a bag. Reminds me to go take a look.
ReplyDeleteMary
you never know, Debra if you'll run into some eyetlian glass somewhere and it will be send by your auntie. I love hearing about her. I think she's watching over you :)
ReplyDeletelove your auntie Beehive!
ReplyDeletei looove eyetalian glass..auntie had great taste.
ReplyDeleteYour Auntie Beehive's glass rocks! I know exactly what sort of works you mean, and love them myself.
ReplyDeleteMy Gramma had all that kind of art glass all around her house, and she used to keep them filled with hard candy year-round.
ReplyDeleteWe used to visit her in the summers and she'd always have Christmas candies in them. Why she kept Christmas candies in all those art glass jars is beyond me.
Oh, wait...come to think of it, we were there during the summers...that crap was probably left sitting in those jars since the previous December...Ick! Whatever, we didn't care, it was, afterall CANDY!
At first I read three feet across as thirty feet across. I was like "Wait, what?? ...oh, ok." lol
ReplyDeleteChildhood memories are precious. :)
Nice piece. I now recall tall orange and red vases with similar markings ornamenting slots high up in the walls of the vaulted ceilings of the living room of my godparents. Thank you for that memory.
ReplyDeleteI remember this wild glass. I'm sure my grandmother had a few pieces too. Some of those bowls looked like alien spacecraft if I remember correctly...
ReplyDeleteLove how Auntie Beehive pronounced "Italian!"
I love the old art glass. I was lucky enough to inherit two pieces from my Grandmother a few years back. I cherish them.
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