EAPG Early American Pattern Glass JUMBO Elephant PT Barnum Circus Compote

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Rare, Early American Pattern Glass in the PT Barnum "Jumbo" Circus Compote. This clear glass covered compote dish is a fabulous piece of American history especially for any animal lover who collects glass! In 1882, P.T. Barnum purchased Jumbo from the Royal Zoological Society in London. He paid $10,000 for Jumbo and had to have a special train car built for his large frame. PT Barnum and Jumbo travelled America as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The investment was a good one and the public made Jumbo one of Barnum’s biggest and best attractions. Unfortunately, Jumbo died in 1885 when he was accidentally killed by a train in Canada. Barney had Jumbo stuffed and continued to tour with him until 1889. He then donated him to Tufts University where he is displayed in the Barnum Museum of Natural History and is still the university's mascot. American glass companies immortalized this pair forever in keepsake pieces like this compote. This compote stands 13 1/2" tall and is 8" wide. Jumbo is the finial and sits on top of this piece as the main attraction as he always was! The finial is in perfect condition but a small bubble can be noted in the photos on Jumbo's head- typical of old glass. This piece has 4 small chips on not the top frosted rim, but the rim below it on one side. The rest of the compote lid is in excellent condition. The inside read more

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