The name of my blog has changed to match the name of my Etsy shop Andy's Vintage Attic. The URL has not changed for the blog.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Glass Violins Are Not For Playing


Yes, it's another collection. This one started quite a while
ago. I am no longer adding to this collection unless I find
one for 99 cents at a thrift store. (which I did last year)
These are what I call glass violins. I don't really know
what the official name would be.


An antique dealer 20 years ago told me that the cobalt
blue violins were actually what Milk of Magnesia came in.
She could remember them in the pharmacy. They do have
a different shape from the others in my collection.



These are purple. Some are a deep purple and some
lighter. These, and most others in my collection, I think
were originally made to be a vase. As you can see, some
of them have hangers. And some of the hangers look
like the bow of the violin.




These are the aqua or turquoise group. You may notice
that they are different sizes. The cobalt violins are all
the same size but the vases vary from short-medium-
tall.





And these are the greens. Here you can better tell how they
vary in height. When I was a little girl (early 1950's) my
mother had two green violins on our back patio. She would
plant ivy in them for the summer and then they would come
down in the winter. None of these were hers....I don't know
what happened to hers. But I know that was why I was drawn
to them.

I have a couple of clear ones that you can see in the first
picture over to the left. They had screw tops and some sort
of liquid was in them...cologne, maybe.

If any one out there in blog land has any more information about
these violins I would enjoy learning more. They have become
harder to find and rather expensive but they are making repos
of the cobalt blue.

Thank you for stopping by. If you would like, please leave a
comment. Annette

7 comments:

Karen said...

where've I been all my life? I don't believe I've ever seen a glass violin.

Unknown said...

Wow...I love this collection! I have seen these thru the years at thrift stores and such, back in the 1980's I lived in Carson City, NV and they had the best thrift stores! I use to see these a lot in those stores, for some reason. I really love colored glass bottles that have a shape. Thanks for becoming a follower on my blog! I am going to do the same with yours! I really enjoyed stopping by!

Anonymous said...

SO cute!
Hope to see you soon.

Charlene
The Christmas Coop

Florence said...

Love those blue violins. Florence

One Gal's Trash said...

I have never seen the glass violins either...so charming! I especially like the aqua ones.
Thanks for stopping by.
Pam

Anonymous said...

I was searching for a green replacement violin bottle for one that I broke and saw your blog. I am a violin bottle collector of sorts also. What drew me to read more (...in addition to the fact you are a cat lover; I have 3!)was you stated you were inspired to collect because of 2 green bottles your mother had. When I was a child (also in the 1950's)my mom had a cobalt blue earbot in which she grew ivy. The story was that my dad won it for her at a carnival sometime in the 1940's. She kept it in the kitchen window above her sink. At some point, after I grew up and moved away, she gave it to a friend. When I returned home for a visit and discovered it was gone, I was so disappointed. She passed in 1989. In 1996, on the day of her birthday, I was browsing an antique store. I first found a mail holder with her name stenciled on it. (She had an unusual first name, and I had never even heard of anyone with the same name.) Then I came upon an identical earbot. Thus, my obsession was born. I have about 15now, but I have purchased many more and given them as gifts. Hope you enjoy my story. It's nice to know I have a kindred spirit somewhere out there.

Debbie R said...

My mom just passed away & I got her blue violin bottle. I just remember it being around my entire life, I was born in 1955. My dad was a career Marine & it moved all over the country with us. I'm so excited to find out where it probably came from!
Debbie R.
Greensboro,NC

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