Over the weekend, I popped into a local thrift shop, just to see what they might have tucked away and found the most amazing little piece. It’s a milk-glass footed dish with a lid. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? But it’s the lid that makes the piece.
It’s a hand, holding a small bird, and there’s a ring on the hand with a clear claret-coloured stone, and the bird has one eye. I checked the piece, and the way it’s being held, doesn’t show another eye. Not even an indentation for one, no evidence that one was ever there.
The piece is very interesting, with the looped edge, which is in perfect condition.
The detail around the wrist of the hand is a band of flowers, which could either be a bracelet or the sleeve of a blouse.
Funnily, I have a couple of other pieces which are hands. The top one might be an ash tray, but that kind of makes my hand hurt.
These two pieces have gold-painted accents on them, delineating the joints of the fingers on one hand. I use them to stash small items like spare earrings and cuff-links.
I looked on Pinterest, which is basically my second choice after google, for images, and only found a few.
Many of the hands that I found were actually glove moulds.
Like these that I saw at Fish’s Eddy in NYC.
![NYC 078[2]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJsufZR4bQIJpEIGOOxALhbl5CRpdsV7UfBC4YYtJ1p9MI4emsnpqIMZCSuOs6euWIavTzRz9nlaHesfk6gBXBX_tugJPPCxy6suC3ZpRCToXrnojWsvQCgO1hhS73WZIjP8hj4JZeCA/s1600-h/NYC%252520078%25255B2%25255D%25255B3%25255D.jpg "NYC 078[2]")
Creepy or fun?
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Is there not a Milk glass expert out there that can enlighten PD readers?
ReplyDeleteThere should be! I know Eddie Ross knows a lot about milk glass.
DeleteHello Meg, In my family, these hand-shaped pieces are great favorites, and your new acquisition is a real find, one that we have not seen before. In the movie Psycho, I seem to recall a hand-topped box on top of the dresser in "Mother's" room, a surreal detail that added to the weirdness of the Bates house.
ReplyDelete--Jim
I'd never seen anything like this before, either. It was marked "as is" because it only has one eye, but as I said, it never looked like it had two.
DeleteI didn't think they were creepy at all until I read Parnassus's comment!
ReplyDeleteLove your new treasure.
xo J
I am going to have to go through the movie to see what it looks like!
DeleteDitto to flwrjane's comment! I was thinking the exact thought.
ReplyDeleteMilk glass is apparently becoming popular again. Lately there has been mention of it quite frequently in some blog posts and in magazines. Interesting find Meg!
My friend, Eddie Ross, is a huge fan of it.
DeleteThese are absolutely beautiful and, as a photographer, I can easily envision a grouping of these photos, quite beautiful. There is something welcoming and very spiritual about an open hand.
ReplyDeleteI love taking pictures of them.
DeleteI have some glove moulds + never have seen the bird + hand milk glass + what a find. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun piece.
DeleteSEE COVERED ANIMAL DISHES, EVERETT GRIST, P36-37
ReplyDeletePLATE 36. HAND AND DOVE. ORIGINALLY BY ATTERBURY. LID DATED 27 AUG 1889. REPRODUCED BY WESTMORELAND W/O DATE AND "WG" ON BOTTOM OF BASE.
A LUCKY FIND!
I think the cupped hands you show may be pipe "holders." Just a thought. Lovely stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, your readers are stepping up to the plate or covered dish as the case may be. Ms. Dyer's intel seems to hit the nail on the head. Google images for covered animal dishes is a Fountainhead of examples!
ReplyDelete