Glass

 Following my post about how interesting it is to see how people display their colectables I had an email from my friend Christine who lives in the Scottish Borders. She is on holiday on the Devon/Somerset border, not very far from Porlock Weir in fact, staying at her friend Jane's manor house and she sent me this picture of how she displays her collection  of 19th century glass. It makes for such an attractive display don't you think?

Just to let you know I've put up an article on the web site about Holmegaard glass which was founded in Zealand, Denmark in 1825. You can read more HERE

As I mentioned yesterday there was a lovely litle micromosaic that was brought to the valuation evening at Chorleywood on Friday. In its honour I decided to post a longer piece on the subject of micromosaics and you can read it HERE

Glass etc say they're the centre of the glass universe and they could well be right!  It's Andy McConnell's shop and he is one of Britain’s leading authorities on glassware of all types. You may well recognize him from the Antiques Roadshow, for which he has now recorded five series. He lectures widely on glass and has written for journals as diverse as The Times, Country Life, BBC Homes & Antiques and Glass Circle News.

Glass Etc is one of Britain’s largest shops selling antique and 20th century glass. The principal shop, housed within a former Salvation Army chapel, measures 100 square metres, with an adjacent exhibition gallery of about 25 square metres. Their stock is vast, though not all on view.

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Would you pay over $30,000 for a bottle of whisky? Well an old empty bottle of California Clubhouse Whiskey has just sold for $30,240 on an internet auction in America. The chocalate/amber bottle with an embossed pattern and a monogram in the centre that was made around 1872-4 was sold by American Bottle Auctions.

Accrding to Jeff Wichmann of American Bottle Auctions. “Time and time again, when votes are taken for the most desirable western fifth, the California Clubhouse comes out on top. For whiskey bottle collectors, it is the Holy Grail. They were only produced for three years, and the one just sold is the first example ever offered at auction, in any color or condition. It was last purchased at a show in the 1970s.”

Check out the link to American Bottle Auctions it has a fascinating array of . . .well, bottles!