Little But Mighty!

My collection of Cranberry-Moser glass on a table in the Up River Parlor.

   Usually when I am looking for something to add to one of my antiques collections,I think, bigger and better. That does not always apply. Sometime the best things came in small packages. My post today is about  some items  that are, "Little but Mighty".So many people come into the shop today and say."I don't have any room for new things", I want to say,"why are you here then"? But under my breath I am thinking, "there is always room for more"! And to me that is the dumbest statement. It is like going to a  grocery store and saying, I don't need food as I already  have some at home. DAH!!!!  If I had an  endless money source, I would be out looking for the most expensive, little, worthless things in the world.  As really,  all they are good for in todays world, is just to look at. Sounds good to me! These little gems always bring a smile. They are little jewelery  for the table. Sparkle-Sparkle! I love to say."It's mine, I found it, you can't have it"!

Signed Moser glass cup and saucer with heavy gold decorations.

  This  little stash of goodies that I am preaching about today is a table full of Cranberry- Moser Glass. Cranberry glass as it  is known in Europe and America is a red glass made by adding gold - chloride to molten glass. Tin in the form of stannous- chloride, is sometimes added in tiny amounts as a reducing  factor of gold, because of the price of gold. This glass is used primarily in expensive decorations. Cranberry glass is usually made in smaller items rather than large ones due to the high cost of the gold and the delicate mixing process required. If too much gold is used, the glass becomes a dark color more known as ruby glass. So the combination of gold and molten glass has to be just right. The gold chloride is made by dissolving gold in a solution of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. The glass is always hand blown or hand blown into a two part mold. The finished, hand blown glass is a type of colloid,a solid phrase(gold) disposed inside another solid phase(glass). If you look from the edge it appears to be in two layers.The very top edge often is clear.  Cranberry glass was believed to have been discovered during the Roman Empire. The most famous period of Cranberry Glass production was in 19th century Britain,during the Victorian era. That would be the years that Queen Victoria was on the throne of England. 1839-1903. Cranberry glass creations were mostly popular as table displays to hold flowers or wine glasses,decanters and finger bowls. Larger pieces were usually made up of several smaller pieces, like an epergne or table lamp.Metal parts were used to connect the smaller sections.

Cranberry-Moser glass pill box.

  Moser was a company that made cranberry glass.It is a luxury,high-quality glass manufactured in the Czech Republic,Bohemia and Hungary.The company is known for fine stem ware,decorative glass ware,such as small vases, candlesticks, boxes and other gift items. Due to the quality Moser is one of the most collected 20th century decorative glass. Began in 1857-as a polishing and engraving workshop and developed into a glass manufacturing giant. The original company of Ludwig Moser founded in 1857 was known for the finest quality of glass. In 1904 -Moser received  a warrant to supply the Imperial Court of the Emperor of Austria and 4 years later became the supplier to Edward 6th of England. In 1915 won an award because of the outstanding quality of the hot glass applied decorations on colored Bohemian  glass.  Surface decorations with natural themes and heavy gold trim became the norm. The Moser company closed after the great depression in the 1930's. Moser was one of the few Czechoslovahian  glass makers to sign their pieces. A signed piece is very desirable and commands a much higher price in todays market. The signature is very hard to find and was usually acid cut. Sometimes on the bottom but often worked into the design.

Cranberry-Moser glass with English Sterling Sweet Meat Box.

English Sterling and Cranberry Master Salt.

  I hope you enjoy my little stash. Come by any time for a tour of My Old Historic House. I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will meet you at the door with a jump and a kiss. SPARKLE_SPARKLE!!!!!!!!

A very rare and unusual piece of Cranberry-Moser glass. A child's  or Salesmen sample Epergne.

At the base of the center trumpet you can see the clear glass with the cranberry color inside. This is the  layers I was talking about. A clear layer with the gold trapped inside. 

English sterling and cranberry-Moser glass Tussie-Mussie. The sterling base is made to look like twigs. The cranberry insert has a greenish amber edge,making this what is called Amberina. Notice the layers of glass and at the very end of the edge it is clear glass.

At the base of the Cranberry Glass trumpet you can again see the clear glass layer.

The amber-greenish edge would have been applied after the trumpet was blown into a mold. This is one of the things that Moser glass was known for. 

Another Tussie-Mussie. Or Possie-holder. Metal base is gold gilt spelter metal with a cherub.

Cranberry-Moser glass trinket box with heavy  decoration.

If you look close at the side of this piece you can see that the gold,cranberry layer is inside of a clear outside layer.

DRESDEN LACE

  My computer and I have been fighting. If I could afford a new one, I might just pitch this one in the Mississippi River. I am sure it is more me than the machine. I hope this post gets to you all ,as I am not sure the way it has been going as of late. Some one emailed me after the last post and said that the post did not show up on her dashboard,headboard,surfboard,some kinda board. Well, I have to get back to you on that one, as the only dashboard I thought I had, was on my car. I guess if I knew more about what I was doing it would help. You see I work this machine kinda like I type, hunt and peck!  If one button don't work, push 2 or 3 more. Putting all that aside, what about this weather??? We had snow yesterday and they say we are about to get it again. I say, Mother Nature needs to go on with her life,before Father Nature comes by and Bitch slaps her. I saw this little verse that I thought was really cute. Spring has sprung,snow has fell,Mother Nature is mad as Hell. Soon it'll be rain,then a flood,we will be cleaning up mud. Mother Nature please start acting right -cuz someday id like to take a nice long hike! Very true for me as I live on the river.

  After all that, finally the post about my Dresden Lace. In the town of Dresden Germany there was at one time more than 200 factories that made and decorated porcelain. The items produced from these factories soon became known as,"Dresden," So the term refers to more of the style, from that one town, instead of any one  manufacture.And we all call these items,"Dresden" .Dresden is sometimes confused with Meissen. Meissen is another town in Germany were fine porcelain was produced. Where the Dresden pieces can have any numner of makers marks, the Meissen always has one, the blue crossed swords.

  Dresden made many types of items,  but were most known for the figure groupings.They were made in large quantities and are still produced today.The famous,"Dresden Lace", was a method developed by Dresden decorators in which real lace was dipped in liquid porcelain and applied to the figure by hand. The results were stunningly delicate and appears to almost look like real fabric. The real lace would burn away when the porcelain was fired. This process made the items not only beautiful, but very fragile and it can be damaged almost by just looking at it. The most famous Dresden figurines are the,"crinoline' groups which portray various aspects of court life,such as dancing or playing musical instruments. Various sizes from the very small to the very large  have been produced. People have been collecting these for years. I once bought a ladies collection of 200 and  moving them became my biggest nightmare. I sold most of them in my antique shop, but have keep a few and I want to share them with you today. The detail  and work in them is amazing. All hand applied. Some of there faces are just wonderful.

  Stop by anytime for a tour at My Old Historic House. I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a kiss. Have a great day and I hope no snow comes your way!