Page 29 - July Banner 2017_Neat

Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper July 2017 Page 29

T r nket My friend, Ruth Lightfoot of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, shared two
interesting objects from yesteryear with me recently. The first is a
couple of darning eggs.
Treas re She inherited these
treasures from her
grandmother, who
worked at Corning
by Lisa C. Cantwell Glass Works in
Owner of Coal Black Horse Antiques and a Maryland state- Corning, New
licensed antique dealer
York. Darning eggs
are also known
as darning balls
or mushrooms.
Dear Reader: This is a column to help you determine the history and value of your heirlooms, They were once
attic finds, flea market purchases, or antique items. Please send a picture and description of your
piece, such as how you acquired it and any details about its history, to [email protected]. common objects,
I’ll research any item, whether it’s a piece of furniture, a painting, a tool, a doll, a figurine, or used to stretch a
an article of clothing. An approximate value will be determined to inform you if it’s a “Trinket torn sock, sweater,
or Treasure.” Please submit all pictures and questions by the preceding 15 of the month or glove, for ease
th
for possible publication in the next monthly issue of The Catoctin Banner. All inquiries will be when mending.
answered; however, only those selected for publication will include approximate value assessments.
Furthermore, not all submissions may be published in the Banner due to space considerations. Early darning eggs
Please include your name or initials and where you reside. Thank you and happy treasure hunting! were made from gourds or cowrie shells, but by the 19th century, these
interesting objects were artfully composed of colored glass, pottery, ivory,
silver, or wood.

“While cleaning out my in-laws home after their death, we found Ruth’s grandmother’s darning eggs are hand-blown, delicate and decorative,
two of these heavy ashtrays stored away. They are beautifully with colorful swirled glass. This pair is small, measuring no more than
embossed designs around the edges, with places for holding five inches in length. They date from the late 19th century. The Corning
cigarettes or cigars. The center resembles a town with unusual Glass Works have been in business for over 160 years. The museum has a
collection of darning eggs, dating from earliest years of operation to about
hats or helmets, long dresses, and an old barrel. Once cleaned 1930. Highly collectible, these once utilitarian tools run the gamut in prices.
up would be an unusual addition to anyone’s collection.” Plain wooden darning balls can bring as little as four dollars to hundreds of
— Libby Craver, Creagerstown, MD dollars for older, more elaborate designs. These Corning glass darning eggs
can still be found. They average about $50.00 a piece in the current market.
Unfortunately,
in the United
States, these mid- The other piece Ruth shared with me is a very small, white vase
century brass or or bowl, given to her by her son, who received it from his friend’s
metal ashtrays mother, who identified it as two hundred years old.
are only worth Often, treasures
about $10.00 a come to us with
piece, and that’s incomplete stories
on the high-end. and Ruth wondered
Rust and corrosion its history and value.
on the surface This beauty is not as
only depreciates old as claimed, but
its appearance still dates over one
and any value. If hundred years. It’s an
marketed overseas, opalescent glass bowl
in the Middle East, or vase, manufactured
Orient, and Europe, by the Jefferson
where smoking glass company of
is prevalent, your ashtrays might be of some value. A similar one is selling Steubenville, Ohio
on a popular vintage sales site for $85.00, shipped from Israel. Consider between 1900 and
your cigar-worthy ashtray a trinket in this country and, perhaps, a treasure 1907. A similar
elsewhere. one in green was
produced as part of
their novelty glass
If you’d like to discover the history behind and value division. Jefferson made affordable, quality glass that was marketed as
of your heirloom, attic find, flea market or yard sale competitive with the finest glassware of Europe. Although I didn’t uncover
purchase, collectible, or antique item, don’t forget the name of this pattern, the green example was selling for about $45.00.
to send in a photo and description of your trinket or Jefferson glass is plentiful on vintage and antique bidding sites. Still, I
treasure to [email protected]. Your piece could appreciate this pretty example of white opalescent glass from the beginning
be featured in an upcoming issue of The Catoctin Banner. of the 20th century.