Posted 6 months ago
Ourbag
(18 items)
I purchased 2 of these Hocking Glass ? Furniture Coasters ? They are 8 sided - 3 " Across , 1 3/4" tall and are very heavy . They weigh over 1 lb each . Is this what they were made for ? Does anybody know who made them . The rayed bottom is concave with 16 rays similar to a Cameo vase wich has 20 rays . Only seen these 2 in 35 yrs . Any help would be appreciated . Thankyou .
Those look awfully fancy for coasters. They also look like they could be uranium? Hit them with a black light.
Hi, Ourbag. :-)
Cool. A furniture caster cup seems plausible to me.
Here's a similar one on etsy:
*snip*
Charming Green Vintage Hexagon Victorian Piano Furniture Insulator Caster Pressed Glass
Vintage from the 1910s
Materials: glass, crystal, green
Width: 9 centimeters
Height: 5 centimeters
*snip*
https://www.etsy.com/listing/744836701/charming-green-vintage-hexagon-victorian
Thankyou Keramikos . Similar but fancier . Still not conclusive of its purpose . Roy .
here's a collection of piano insulators suggesting this as possibly Percival Vickers:
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?album=13&pid=1343#top_display_media
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=13&page=1
from glass message board:
...... I've just read the reason why they are called insulators, and it wasn't anything to do with with the carpets.
Apparently the Victorians were obsessed with home entertainment, of which playing the piano was perhaps the most popular pastime. These glass cups, were introduced to insulate/deaden/suppress the sound of the piano when played. So, thanks to Raymond Notley's wonderful little booklet 'Popular Glass of the C19 and C20 Centuries', I'm now wiser. Incidentally, this is a cracking good read (if you're into pressed glass) - full of facts and small enough to be read in the bath.
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64227.0;attach=200259;image
that last image from glass message board is noted as:
.....the Molineaux Webb piano feet at the time their catalogue was issued, circa 1870.
TallCakes, Wow:
"These glass cups, were introduced to insulate/deaden/suppress the sound of the piano when played."
another interesting 'aspect' of these insulators:
...Once it was realised that piano insulators helped protect the floors and furniture, it became common usage to use glass castor cups for other pieces of furniture. They were even recommended to be used under the legs of beds to help prevent rheumatism and to protect from lightening strikes...
Mystery Solved by HotCakes ! Yet again . Thankyou for being so generous with your Time & Knowledge . You are a Treasure . Roy .
display including same in a collection:
https://pictures.insulators.info/pictures/81/440953326.jpg
old advertisement:
https://heartofglassdotuk.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/1850-advert.png
Thanks yet again . You have a fan in Canada . Roy .