1800s Sailor Valentine Shell Art Bubble Glass 6pt S (03/27/2011)...

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1800s Sailor Valentine Shell Art Bubble Glass 6pt STAR

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1800s Sailor Valentine Shell Art Bubble Glass 6pt STAR

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Sold Date: 03/27/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Transportation and Vehicles

Very Rare Victorian Era

Shell Art Bubble Glass

6 Point STAR

This auction is for an antique Victorian Era Roundel or sometimes called Portholes, meaning today the pictures provide us with an interesting porthole into what subjects interested them. The convex glass is to resemble a porthole with a scene of a sailing ship at sea.

The 6 pointed Star shape is one of the rarest versions of the bubble glass designs. Sailors had long used the stars to navigate their ships to safe harbors and its shape gave a sense of romance to the gift.P> The glass is in great shape with no chips or cracks. I could not get rid of the glare from the glass in taking pictures of this piece. This piece is dirty from sitting around for over 100 years. This has the original metal ring on the back for hanging. The red felt along the outside is in good condition. All of the seashells seem to be there. It is all original. Overall It is in

Very Good condition. VERY RARE..!

In the late nineteenth century no beau would dare to visit his sweetheart without taking some token of his true feelings, a bunch of flowers,candy,an item of jewelry or a book of poems. From a wide range of shell decorated items that have survived and the message of Love and Affection that they often bare, it appears that boxes and trinkets,decorated in shells were also popular gifts for loved ones.

Stars,hearts and horseshoes were popular perhaps because they symbolized dependability with a romantic hint of travel to exotic places were also popular, encrusted with shells containing colorful prints, usually of seascapes,coastal resorts or romantic scenes, incorporating an arrangement of shells, dried mosses and grasses, all sealed under glass were very popular as a fond remembrance of a tour. The Heart shape was so popular as its shape gave a sense of romance to the gift

Some people would call this an old sailors valentine. Sailors would pick these shell items up to give them to there sweethearts when they got home. Love tokens as it were. It was also the custom of the day when visiting the seashore to collect shells as mementos of the trip and friends met along the way. Paper shops would sell paper boxes / picture frames in decorative designs for the purpose of covering them with the gathered shells. It is a custom simular to making a memory jar, vase etc. Women at that time were also very adept at making their own gifts and love tokens to friends from inexpensive material as they often times had very little access to ready cash. Their husbands holding the purse strings as it were.

Measures at 12 1/2" tall 11" wide" What a great RARE find!

Check out my other items !

The group pic is of the other victorian shell art items that I have on ebay for sale.

If you are the high bidder on 2 or more shell art items that I'm currently selling on ebay...I will pay all shipping costs.

Check out my other items !

Check out my other items! Simular pieces may be viewed in Smyth's Neptune's Treasure book. I'm no expert in this stuff, some of these items are dirty from sitting around, so what you see is what you get. Sold as is. Buyer pays actual shipping cost with insurance. No charge for packaging or handling. Feel free to email me with any questions.