About Turquoise Rings

Turquoise Ring Guide

While bracelets are worn to draw attention to the hand, it is the ring that keeps the attention there. Unlike other forms of jewelry, the ring's aesthetics are not the primary reason for its popularity. They symbolize a multitude of events: from marriage and engagement, to friendship, to social affiliations. Turquoise has often been added to rings to strengthen the values the ring symbolized. Today, the desire for turquoise rings is growing as people strive for distinctive and exotic styles.

Turquoise Band Rings
The simple structure of the band made it the first style of ring to be made. Bands were initially crafted from bone, shell, and other soft items; today, they are made using metal, plastic, glass, and wood. Though the materials changed, the structure has stayed the same. Common styles of a band are plain metal, metal with designing or etching, and metal with inlaid stone. With silver as the base, turquoise is one of the most popular stones for band inlay. Not only do silver and turquoise complement each other, they complement the wearer's hand beautifully as well. This makes the turquoise band ring a great design for everyday wear and any casual occasion requiring subtle elegance.

Turquoise Set-Stone Rings
The styling of set-stone rings focuses the attention away from the metal band, to the stone, making a bold fashion statement. The set-stone design allows the turquoise to achieve a more natural, less constrictive look. A bezel setting secures and encases the turquoise with metal; this makes the stone appear as an extension of the ring, rather than an addition. A set-stone turquoise ring is a great attention grabber, and it is a nice choice for a formal occasion

Turquoise Stacker Rings
Whether as a show of affluence or a fashion statement, people enjoy adorning their hands with multiple turquoise rings. To fulfill people's desire for the look, designers have fashioned sets of turquoise rings to be worn either together or one on each finger. Stackers can consist of any combination of bands or set-stone rings. Whatever the combination, they are designed to complement each other, and to add casual style to the wearer.
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See our vintage Turquoise Jewelry at: Vintage Turquoise Jewelry

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." --James Madison, Federalist No. 45

We The People YouTube

Vintage Turquoise Jewelry

Vintage Turquoise items frequently come up for sale online. Many of the good, old pieces were sold to tourists from the east in the 1920's & 30's. Navajo and other indian jewelry was all part of the Fred Harvey & Santa Fe railroad experience, which we will discuss in later articles.

As a result estate buyers in the east, who may know nothing about turquoise indian jewelry, will list it for sale very cheaply. However, it can be very hard to tell old, crude pieces from new, shoddy work; especially if all you have to go on is a few pictures.

Pictured above is a vintage Southwest Indian Turquoise Pendant Necklace available at: Turquoise Necklace

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"[W]hen all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Charles Hammond, 1821

AuctionBytes Article From The Editor by Ina Steiner

From the Editor
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
July 25, 2010

When my sisters, brother and I were kids in the 1960s, my mother fed us a constant diet of comic books to encourage us to read. She would sneak in some of those Classics Illustrated adaptations of literary classics along with Richie Rich and Archie and Jughead. It worked, and we all became avid readers.

Until I read John Wall's blog post today, I really hadn't thought about much about comic books being published digitally. As John writes, yes, there's an app for that: "last Wednesday was the first time that a comic I was going to buy in the store was also available via the Comixology Application for iPad. Instead of driving to the local shop to buy it, I just clicked and had it instantly."

Article Continues at: AuctionBytes

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"Excessive taxation ... will carry reason and reflection to every man's door, and particularly in the hour of election." --Thomas Jefferson

There is No Such Thing As A Used Book

Exerpts from an article that appeared in Epinions.com several year ago. Just like an old book, this article still has much to offer.
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There's No Such Thing As a Used Book

The Bottom Line Buy used books! The brain you save may be your own.

When you think about it, there really is no such thing as a used book. Not in the sense we as consumers think of used, anyway. Consider my whim, if you will. Most people, if given the choice, prefer new cars to used cars. Cars, however, are not books. Ever tried to read a car? You just can't do it. Cars have a rather finite lifetime, for the most part. The more that they’re driven, the more likely they are to require repairs, or to become unusable.

Books, on the other hand, are much more forgiving. Oh sure, they may become a little dog eared, and the spine may have a crease. Maybe somebody spilled a little beer on a few pages (would I do that?). But as long as a book is complete and you can read it, it’s just as good on the 42nd reading as it was on the first.

And there’s just something about the wonderful, musty, heady smell of an old paperback that really makes you feel alive. It’s really something to stop and savor, I think.

Used Books vs. New Books
So, of course you should buy used books, instead of new ones anyway. You can save a lot of money doing so, too. Used books are often easy to find on Ebay, although shipping costs mean that you usually have to buy them in lots in order to realize any significant savings.

Flea markets are a great place to buy used books. They can often be purchased very cheaply here, although you usually have to go with what you can find. If you’re looking for a particular book, your local used book store is a great place to go. They usually have a great selection, and you can even trade in “old” used books towards the purchase of “new” used books.

Used Books vs. Library Books
Which brings us to a question: should you buy used books instead of going to the library? That all depends on your reading habits. How long do you take to read a book? Can you read it before it’s due to be returned? I almost always can.

Unfortunately, I’m one of the worst people in the world when it comes to taking things back on time. I’ve pretty much stopped renting movies, because by the time I add up my late fees it’s usually cheaper just to buy the DVD outright. Same goes for library books.

But I will confess that I have a personality quirk about books. If I’ve read a book, and enjoyed it, I want to own a copy. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I like to loan them out to friends. Maybe it’s because it’s nice to have them to refer back to. Or maybe I think I’ll re-read them some day. Whatever the reason, I like to hang on to my books, and buying used books gives me the flexibility to do just that.

See entire article at Epinions.com

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See our used media and books section at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
In a bid to stem taxpayer losses for bad loans guaranteed by federal housing agencies Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn) proposed that borrowers be required to make a 5% down payment in order to qualify. His proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) explained, "...passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to only those who can afford it." Really????

All About Wedgwood, Part VI, Author Unknown

The Beautiful Pottery Of Wedgwood

The jasper ware was Wedgwood's own invention. It received his closest personal attention, and some of his finest pieces were made in it. It is best described in his own words as "a white porcelain bisque of exquisite beauty and delicacy, possessing the quality of receiving color throughout its whole substance. This renders it particularly fit for cameos, portraits, and all subjects in bas-relief, as the ground may be made of any color throughout and the raised figures in pure white." It included in its composition barium, clay, and finely ground flint, and in its natural color was a peculiar dense, opaque white, varying from chalk-white to ivory.

It is hard to say whether the chief charm of jasper-ware lies in its color, its form, or the beauty and perfection of the ornamentation. Certainly the colorings are superb. Many colors were employedmostly delicate tints-the light blue perhaps being the most popular and best known. There were at least five tones and hues of blue derived from cobalt, six tones of green, three tones of red, from orange to terra cotta, lilac, rose, plum, chocolate, buff, brown, canary-yellow, black, and four distinct whites. White was usually employed in relief on one of these colors, and sometimes with a combination of two other colors. Occasionally two colors were employed without white, such as olive-green on buff.

There were two ways of coloring the Jasper-coloring throughout and coloring simply the surface by dipping. The latter method was invented in 1777 and made possible several new effects. The majority of the ware, however, is colored throughout.

Previous to 1781 the jasper-ware had been used almost exclusively for plaques and cameos. Then Wedgwood turned his attention to vases, adapting the forms largely from the antique. They were made in various sizes, chiefly in one color with white reliefs. Many were ornamented in Classic figures by Flaxman. To these jasper vases Wedgwood owes much of his reputation as a consummate artist and craftsman.

The well known incident of the Portland vase may be worthy of mention at this point. In 1787 Wedgwood made fifty copies of the famous antique Barberini vase, owned by the Duke of Portland. This vase was a wonderful example of the highest type of Classic art, and Wedgwood's copies nearly surpassed the original. They were made in black and blue, with white reliefs. It is said that about twenty of the original fifty copies are extant in museums and private collections, chiefly in England, but the authenticity of some of them is disputed.

After 1780 many articles were made in jasperware: tea and coffee sets, including cups and saucers, bowls and sugar basins, tea and coffee pots, cream pitchers and trays; plaques, medallions, and cameos; scent-bottles, match-pots, a few pipe-bowls and hookahs, candlesticks, pedestals for statuettes and busts, pots for growing bulbs and flowering plants, and a remarkable set of chessmen designed by Flaxman in 1785. To Be Continued.

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Pictured above: Wedgwood Cobalt Biscuit Barrel, Circa 1880 or prior. See this item, and other Wedgwood antiques at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: Wedgwood Cobalt Biscuit Barrel.

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"Excessive taxation ... will carry reason and reflection to every man's door, and particularly in the hour of election." --Thomas Jefferson

Attention: All WorldMark Timeshare Vacation Owners

Attention: All WorldMark TimeShare Vacation Owners
To keep up with the latest news from WorldMark Owners, please join and support the WorldMark Owners Forum at: The Online WorldMark Owner Community

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See our Squidoo Lens, Need A TimeShare Vacation?, at: Need A TimeShare Vacation?

Pictured above: A typical timeshare resort available for rent or sale at our CHShops Online Mall Store at: Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"The great leading objects of the federal government, in which revenue is concerned, are to maintain domestic peace, and provide for the common defense. In these are comprehended the regulation of commerce that is, the whole system of foreign intercourse; the support of armies and navies, and of the civil administration." --Alexander Hamilton, remarks to the New York Ratifying Convention, 1788

Tuesday's Twitters

Here are more Tuesday's Twitters, some funny--some not so. Enjoy and contemplate.

Unions Holding Up Cash for the Troops and trying to Nationalize 1st responders!.. Union Thuggery

No mosque at ground zero Pat Condell

Rep Paul Hodes [D] from NH-2
Rep Bob Etheridge [D] from NC-2
Rep Gabrielle Giffords [D] from AZ-8
Rep Harry Mitchell [D] from AZ-5
Rep Keith Ellison [D] from MN-5
Rep William Delahunt [D] from MA-10
Rep Brad Ellsworth [D] from IN-8
Rep Patrick Murphy [D] from PA-8
Rep Kurt Schrader [D] from OR-5
Rep Betty Sutton [D] from OH-13
All voted for Obamacare -- vote em out in Nov!
(more to come)

Veep Biden and Sen Graham had a pow-wow yesterday. Be concerned.: Pow-Wow

Probe Grows in MN Felon Voting Scandal ... Voter Fraud

Caution: If you vote for Harry Reid, you will become unemployed. He is good at creating the highest unemployment in USA.

Obama is so removed from reality he flies his dog to Maine on a separate "Private Jet." At what cost?

Obamacare means more health coverage, right? Wrong; it means less: Less for More

Resonsible liberals should denounce this... Union Thugs

Kill the Ground Zero Mosque TV Ad... TV Ad

Have you heard about the girl who kissed her canary and caught chirpes? Her doctor told her it was untweetable.

Don't miss: “The Road to Recovery”, “Out of the Frying Pan” and more cartoons! Cartoons

Barry - things got you down? Problems with the presidency? Relief is here! DIAL 1-800- BLAME- BUSH. There, feel better?

Mexican drug gang uses car bomb for the first time: It begins

Axelrod: Medicare Czar "not coming to implement the British system". Good. Obama would look silly wearing a dress and a crown.

2nd Amendment "The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." - Unknown

How many Czars are there? HEALTH FOOD CZAR! NANNY STATE OUT-OF-CONTROL! How Many

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Quail and Cocaine. A really stunning...and depressing reality. Stupid Study

List of Bilderberg participants, Past & Present - Good to know who really rules us

Make Congress Obey the Constitution -- Support the Enumerated Powers Act Constitutionally Limited Government

BO gives sanctuary cities a pass for NOT enforcing immigration laws but sues AZ FOR enforcing the law! God help us!

Breaking Ranks....The Heat Is On:What Happens When Amateurs Go TO War w/Each Other Glorious! November looks good!

Rep Myrick:Hezbollah Major Threat to Mexican Border To DOJ:Stop wasting Taxpayer money suing AZ --protect the border

Update: CNMI Backs Arizona Immigration Law CNMI

Quotas Hidden in Bank Reform Bill Will Cost Taxpayers Millions Are you happy now--Brown,Snowe,Collins?

Two GOP Senators file amendment to block federal lawsuits against the AZ immigration law AZ Law

The VA Gov turned a 1 billion dollar deficit into a surplus in 6 months. That's what happens when you elect true conserv Republicans.

We are behind you Gov Brewer. "We are all Arizonans Now". Support AZ

"This will be the most transparent Administration in American history" - That's still Obama's funniest quote.

We have a lawless president, and a lawless attorney general, and a lawless secy of homeland security, telling us what the law is. Mark Levin

"There is much discussion of the haves and the have-nots, but very little discussion of the doers and the do-nots."

Issa jabs 'ObamaCare' with earthquake tweet Jabs

The DNA test is in....OBUMBA, You're NOT the president!!!

Remembering Dodd: "We need to pass this bill so we can see if it works!"

Remembering Pelosi: "Gee, I can't wait until this bill gets passed so we can find out what it says!"

Gov. Christie improving private sector in NJ. Private sector jobs on the rise. Great video

White House Linked to Fraudulent Racist Tea Party Video WH linked

Anyone else have the feeling that Rod Serling is going to appear in the sky and announce that we're all in the Twilight Zone?

Judicial Watch to Represent Author of AZ Immigration Law in“Legal Battle of Epic Proportions” against Obama DOJ Judicial Watch

SOMALI MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS turning American small towns into Islamic welfare enclaves Welfare Enclaves

Dems pass Financial Reg reform with votes from dozens of senators who got corrupt VIP loans. Fraud Fraud Fraud

State Legislation Challenging Health Reforms 2010 36 States w/ 2009-2010 Legislation Opposing Certain Health Reforms

Obama’s War on USA’s Refineries goes Underreported Refineries

Inspector General of USAID finds Obama spending $10 million to fund "Yes" political campaign in Kenya Fraud in Kenya

Buh bye Barney?Barney Gone?

Remembering Pelosi: "You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats." (2006)

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffusd and Virtue is preservd. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauchd in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." --Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, 1775

Just What The Doctor Seuss Ordered

I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'.
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free,
I do not like your smug replies, when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it. nope, nope, nope!

and I plan to vote, vote, vote!!

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"A nation under a well regulated government, should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support." --Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, part 2, 1792

Petit Crest Villas at Big Canoe

This week we are highlighting Petit Crest Villas At Big Canoe Timeshare Resort.

Petit Crest Villas at Big Canoe, Georgia, is a wonderful mountain, golfing, fishing and swimming resort located in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes northeast of the Atlanta Airport and approximately 45 minutes south of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Petit Crest Villas include individual 3 bedroom rustic pedestal cabins that have a master bedroom, a guest bedroom and a loft bedroom, and a sofa sleeper in the living room with fireplace, full kitchen and dining area. The cabins have a porch off the master bedroom and the dining area for your enjoyment. Units sleep 8. Amenities on property include outdoor pool, spa, health club, VCR/DVD cassette players, radio/CD players, washer/dryer in unit. Some amenities do require a fee for use. Petit Crest Villas offers both weekly rentals and ownership. Visitors can rent a week or a weekend for reasonable rates. The resort has a Friday to Friday check in procedure with a 2 night minimum stay. The rates are comparable to hotel rates but visitors get much more for their money ! There are many hiking trails, 3 nine-hole golf courses, beautiful lakes for fishing and swimming in season. Petit Crest Villas also offers an inside pool and health club.

Weekly/Weekend Rentals,2Br/2Bath Max 8 Occupancy. Amenities available; Golf, Tennis, Fitness Center with Indoor Pool, Seasonal Outdoor Pools, Fishing and Boat Rentals. Call for amenity fees. Nearby attractions include Historic Dahlonega, Amicalola Falls, Pumpkin and Apple Barns (in season), Kangaroo Conservation Center, Blue Ridge, North Georgia Premium Outlets, and Ellijay. Nearby activities include horseback riding, canoeing, golf, hiking, and trout fishing. Phone 706.268.3600

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For more information on timesharing, see our Squidoo Lens at: Need A Timeshare Vacation?

See our summer timeshare rental at: Summer Timeshare Rental

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"The foundation of national morality must be laid in private families. ... How is it possible that Children can have any just Sense of the sacred Obligations of Morality or Religion if, from their earliest Infancy, they learn their Mothers live in habitual Infidelity to their fathers, and their fathers in as constant Infidelity to their Mothers?" --John Adams, Diary, 1778

Great Orators of the Democrat Party - Joke of the Day

Great Orators of the Democrat Party


"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The buck stops here." - Harry S. Truman

"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy


And, from today's genius Democrats...

"It depends what your definition of 'is' is.'' - Bill Clinton

"That Obama ... I would like to cut his NUTS off." - Jesse Jackson

"Those rumors are false ... I believe in the sanctity of marriage." - John Edwards

"I invented the Internet." - Al Gore

"The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ASS." - Joe Biden

"America is ... is no longer, uh, what it ... it, uh, could be, uh, what it was once was ... uh, and I say to myself, 'uh, I don't want that future, uh, uh for my children." - Barack Obama

"I have campaigned in all 57 states." - Barack Obama (Quoted 2008)

"You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted 2006)

"Paying taxes is voluntary." - Sen. Harry Reid

"Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he." - Hillary Clinton (Quoted 1998)

"We need to pass this bill, so we know if it works". - Senator Dodd

And the most recent gem of wisdom from the "Mother Moron":
"We just have to pass the Healthcare Bill to see what's in it." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted March, 2010)

HOW LUCKY CAN WE BE - TO HAVE SUCH BRILLIANT MINDS IN CHARGE OF OUR ONCE GREAT COUNTRY?


''Life's tough .... it's even tougher if you're stupid.'' - John Wayne

Go green - recycle Congress in 2010!

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"[N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." --Samuel Adams

A Lock of Napoleon's Hair Sells At Auction

A Lock of Napoleon's Hair Sells at Auction, From Kovel's Komments

A lock of Napoleon's hair sold on July 1 for $13,100 (U.S. dollars) at Art+Object, a New Zealand auction house. The hair had been cut from Napoleon's head after he died in 1821. Denzil Ibbetson, a British officer on St. Helena during Napoleon's exile there, kept the hair and other Napoleon memorabilia. Everything remained in his New Zealand family until this sale. We searched for a value based on earlier sales and found that in 1915 a different lock of Napoleon's hair sold for $107.50.

See more unique auctions at: Kovel's Komments

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years farther into life; that eminence will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from our sight." --Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

A Lesson For Americans by Mike Dalka

From The Flag of The United States of America

A Lesson For Americans by Mike Dalka

My Grandfather was a glider infantryman in WWII, an advisor in Korea, and lost one of his sons, my uncle Gary Edwards, in Vietnam. I worked in his auto repair station during high school and he flew his flag in front daily. One day while I was sweeping the oil dry out of the bays it began to sprinkle rain. He told me to go get the flag and I said "gimme a second." He said, "It is raining, go get the flag NOW." Well I popped off my mouth about how he should cool it, it isn't going to melt or some such typical teenage comment.

My grandfather is the toughest man I've ever met. He explained once that he thought basic training was some sort of country club during WWII, because he was used to hard work anyway, and at home he didn't have indoor toilets or hot running water! And when I said whatever it was that I said to him, he turned deep crimson and I thought, "God save me, he's going to kill me for talking back." Instead tears welled up in his eyes and he squeaked out "You don't understand what this family has paid for the right to fly that flag." Then he turned his back on me and went out and got the flag. I just stood there feeling like the smallest person to ever live. Those words cut me so deep. I wish the entire country could have heard them.

[ I ] hope that this Nation might yet have enough people who understand the cost of liberty to turn things around.

*********************************

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"What is it that affectionate parents require of their Children; for all their care, anxiety, and toil on their accounts? Only that they would be wise and virtuous, Benevolent and kind." --Abigail Adams, letter to John Quincy Adams, 1783

All About Wedgwood, Part V, Author Unknown

The Manufacture of Wedgwood Basalt

In 1767 Wedgwood turned his attention to the manufacture of black basalt or Egyptian black ware. This had already been made in a crude form in Staffordshire, but Wedgwood brought it to a high degree of perfection. It is so hard that it will strike fire with steel, and yet is smooth and velvety in appearance and to the touch. Bits of it are still used as touchstones by jewelers. In texture it is perfect, fine in grain and rich in its soft blackness probably the most solid pottery ever produced. The real Wedgwood basalt never shows waviness or crazing. It proved to be a splendid ware, not only in plain black, as in most of the tea-sets, but for seals, intaglios, busts, statuettes, plaques, medallions, and as a background for bas-reliefs and encaustic painting.

Some of the basalt tea and coffee sets were painted in colors, but these are not generally as fine as the plain black ones. The latter were usually decorated with raised work in flutings, basket effects, and relief figures, generally Classic in form. This relief work is perfect in its minutest details, even under a magnifying glass. The edges of the raised figures were often slightly undercut to give an absolutely sharp relief.

The finest basalt, however, is found in the vases. The first basalt vases were made in 1768. Up to 1780 they were rather simply decorated. At first they were plain, smooth black. In 1769 festoons in white were applied occasionally. From 1769 to 1786 the ornamentation consisted chiefly in black relief flutings, strap work, borders, festoons, Classic figures, etc., with handles in the form of masks, dolphins, goats' heads, satyrs, etc.

It is interesting to note the Classic forms and motifs used in pottery of this period, in that this was the age of Classic decorations in architecture and furniture, generally known as the Adam period, which ran from 1760 to 1790. Rams' heads and feet, and satyrs, were frequently, almost generally, used as ornaments on furniture at this period.

This class of vases formed a considerable proportion of the output of Wedgwood & Bentley. About 1776 more elaborate and beautiful figures in basrelief were applied, many of them of rare Classic charm, like Flaxman's "Dancing Hours." The surface was less highly polished during this later period, and these vases are considered superior even to the more striking jasper-ware by many connoisseurs. From 1780 to 1795 painted basalt vases were made in imitation of antique Greek and Etruscan painted vases and other vessels.

In basalt were also made ewers for water and wine, mugs, inkstands, salt-cellars, flower pots, and other practical articles, as well as medallions, plaques, and portrait cameos. These last will be considered more at length later.

Pictured above: Wedgwood Basalt Bud Vase, Lady Templeton Design, Circa 1880 or prior, available at our CHShops.com Mall Store at: Wedgwood Basalt Bud Vase.

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"[T]he importance of piety and religion; of industry and frugality; of prudence, economy, regularity and an even government; all ... are essential to the well-being of a family." --Samuel Adams, letter to Thomas Wells, 1780

The Armed Citizen as told by the NRA

Tyler, TX: The residents of an apartment complex say their typically safe neighborhood had fallen victim to a rash of break ins. Crime reached its zenith when someone broke into an apartment occupied by a woman and her children. The woman retreated to her bedroom with the children, locked the door and armed herself with a handgun. According to police, when the suspect approached the bedroom door, the woman fired a single shot. The suspect was found outside the complex suffering from a gunshot wound. He was placed under armed guard at the hospital.

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Dunn, N.C.: A turkey farmer was driving his tractor down the road for refueling when he noticed a strange car, its trunk open, parked in his garage. Parking his tractor in front of the car, he reached into his pickup for a .22 caliber rifle. Police say that's when a man kicked open the farmer's back door and stepped outside with his arms full of electronics and money. The farmer yelled at him and when he saw the gun, he set the stuff down and ran back into the house. The suspect slipped on the linoleum inside the home and the farmer held him at gunpoint for police. Police are investigating the suspect's involvement in several other break ins.

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Athens, AL: A nurse was home with her sick children when a man knocked on the door. She had never seen him before, so she quieted the children and did not answer. Undeterred, the man circled the house and tried to kick in the kitchen door, prompting the nurse to hide her children in a closet and telling them to call 911. She retrieved a .38 caliber revolver, peered down the hall and saw the burglar standing in the living room. She came at him and started firing; and the burglar fled the scene. Speaking to a reporter, the nurse urged other women to consider gun ownership and to take firearm training classes.

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There are many more stories like these. To be continued.

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry





Quote of the Day:
"[T]he people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them." --Zacharia Johnson, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788