Yesteryear Here

Circa: 2105
Manufacturer: Carl Radke, Phoenix Studios, California
Carl Radke 2015 (Prototype #15) Yellow Pulled Feather Toothpick Holder:

This Carl Radke 2015 signed toothpick holder stands 2 inches tall. It is blown into a traditional 1880-1895 American Art Glass shape, that being a double gourd form. It is made of two layers: the inner yellow glass color layer and an outer layer of clear glass onto which the blue and gold Pulled Feather decoration is placed. It is then iriidized to create it lustrous finish. It is signed on the bottom "Carl Radke 15" and carries his Phoenix Studios silver paper label. It was one of the original 36 prototypes Carl created for my display of his work at the 2015 40th Annual Convention of the NTHCS (National Toothpick Holder Collector's Society).

It is in excellent condition. $100 plus Priority Mail shipping from 05452.

Carl Radke has been blowing glass since 1970. He was one of a vanguard of young artists who participated in the Renaissance of American Art Glass in the early 1970s.
Originated by Tiffany in 1881 and popular during the early part of the 20th century, Lustre Art Glass had fallen out of favor about 1925, practically becoming a lost art. In the latter part of the 1960s, the art programs of several California universities began to rekindle an interest in glassblowing in general and in Silver Art Glass specifically. Several of the young artists became fascinated with the medium and were caught up by the challenge of rediscovering this complex and sophisticated art form.

Lustre Glass is a very specialized glassblowing medium because of the silver content in the glass. It has always been one of the most costly forms of glass to produce. In addition to the high cost of the raw materials used in Lustre Glass, the raw glass can only be maintained in the oven for a short time before the color, quality, and texture of the glass batch begins to degenerate. These two factors prevent this volatile studio glass from being mass-produced in a larger factory environment. Thus, the specific formulae and high raw material costs have kept the blowing of Silver Lustre Art Glass in the hands of a few skillful artisans as the glass maker must be chemist as well as craftsman to work successfully in this medium.

Carl Radke is one of only a few glassblowers out of the thousands in the United States who continues to work in this difficult and traditional glass. His skill with glass and glass decoration has allowed him to "play" with the medium and to develop his unique creations.

Shop by Store Name

Click on a letter to view store names that begin with that letter.
More Shopping
Resources
  • News-Antique.com Today's news about the antiques & collectibles trade.
  • The TIAS.com Showcase Antiques & collectibles that were added to TIAS.com today.
  • Get an online appraisal for an item here.