The proper order of things is often a mystery to me.” - Cheshire CatA Few Words about WordsWhat precisely is the difference between an antique and a contemporary figural marble? Before 1890 marbles were handmade; today gorgeous glass marbles are still being made by hand. Are “contemporary” marbles those made using the most up to … [Read more...] about Contemporary Figural Marbles
Archives
How are Marbles & Civil War Prison Art Connected?
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” - Albert EinsteinAll or NothingIs nothing something? Does nothing mean something? These two questions have served as the basis for study and debate, including at the post-graduate level, for millennia. Scholars in both philosophy and physics carry on the study, and … [Read more...] about How are Marbles & Civil War Prison Art Connected?
Bobby Dazzlers! Marbles Used in Jewelry
Bammy-douzler?As you may well imagine the phrase “bobby dazzler” is much older than it’s recent use on Oak Island. The phrase is known in Australia, but it’s origin can be traced to the mid-19th century in northern England. The meaning of the first part of the phrase is unknown. The second word is from the verb “dazzle”, as in … [Read more...] about Bobby Dazzlers! Marbles Used in Jewelry
Marbles Used as Munitions in the American Civil War
I’m 100% Certain! Somewhat….Which facts, stories, or statistics do you know with absolute certainty about the Civil War? You may not remember it “off the top of your head” but you can certainly get the solid facts online, right? Yes. And no. For example, President Lincoln used electrical signaling with unparallel success … [Read more...] about Marbles Used as Munitions in the American Civil War
Mudlarking Marbles!
Anyone live near to the water where the mudlarks build their bowl-like nests of soft mud and then line them with feathers? Sometimes called Pee Wees, mudlarks are fairly large black and white flycatchers which are called Magpie-larks in Australia.We have no idea when or by whom the mudlark name was first applied to paupers in … [Read more...] about Mudlarking Marbles!
Cambridge Glass Company Marbles: A Second Look
He never worked where?Our recent post about Cambridge Glass and Christensen marbles generated some very interesting responses online. We were most surprised by the reaction to the information on A. Fiedler. After complaining about misinformation in the post, one writer noted: most of the misinformation is about Arnold Fiedler . … [Read more...] about Cambridge Glass Company Marbles: A Second Look
More Marble Collectables
Rats! Foiled Again. We recently asked any visitor to the Blog “Rats and Knuckle Down” if they had ever seen the sculpture, casting, marble collectable, or whatever it is of two rats knuckled down to a game of marbles. Well, that figurine remains a big mystery because no one has responded. Yet. In the Rat Blog we also made … [Read more...] about More Marble Collectables
Cambridge Glass Company Marbles
You Have What? There are marbles in our collection made using cullet from well-known glasshouses which are extremely popular and often older and well-established. These companies never produced marbles or have ceased their production. For example, we have a clutch of marbles made from Burmese uranium glass made by The Fenton Art … [Read more...] about Cambridge Glass Company Marbles
Rats and “Knuckle Down”
We have no idea if rats can knuckle down. In fact, we have no idea whether or not rats even have knuckles; at least not in the traditional use of the noun today. We do know that rats have a collapsible skeleton and can get through seemingly impossibly small holes. We have first-hand experience of rats gnawing through a cement … [Read more...] about Rats and “Knuckle Down”
And the Beat Goes On
Recognize this marble master? This is Dave McCullough (deceased, 2024). Former owner and operator of D.A.S. Marbles, Dave brought tons of experience and knowledge to the contemporary marble scene. His vision of color connects glass and nature through the marbles which he has run over several decades, and his work has many followers … [Read more...] about And the Beat Goes On
Bagatelle Blues
For years we have collected hand-held or table top plunger, flipper, and flip or free-roll marble games. Some people just call them pinball games. We collect the games with marbles and not the ones which use steel balls. A later game that we bought was so big that it had legs to the floor! We lost that one in a flood after … [Read more...] about Bagatelle Blues
It’s In the Bag
Grab the Marbles & Run!We really like marble bags! It wasn’t so long ago that young ‘uns for whom marbles was a game of keeps needed a bag, pouch, or their granddad’s old hand-me-down shot pouch to put their winnings in. The bag should be able to hold about 25 – 30 marbles, and there was no real requisite to what it … [Read more...] about It’s In the Bag
