Lovely Crystal Coupes and a Mystery Item

First, let’s talk about crystal. Cut crystal has been around for centuries and for a time it was popular here in the U.S. (1800s to mid 1900s). The well-adorned dining room table would have crystal salt cellars, knife rests and nappys amongst all the goblets and bowls. Drinks carts had heavy cut crystal decanters. But by the 1960s change was underfoot. Decor tastes were moving towards clean lines, vivid colors, and wild prints and crystal fell out of favor.

Still. Still there have always been some folks who appreciate the beauty and artistry of crystal and I am one of them. So when I see other resellers eschew the clear glass aisle I am a happy camper because I definitely look at it. Over the years I have bought and sold some amazing pieces.

And the other day I spotted these champagne coupes on the bottom shelf at my neighborhood thrift store. They were tucked in there and easy to miss, but I’m glad I didn’t.

I picked one up and it had good heft (9 ounces) and the cutting was lovely. I looked (and looked) and finally found a tiny maker’s mark on the foot, but darned if I could read it. Still they were marked. There were nine of them on the shelves–one was chipped, one oddly smaller than the others, so I decided to put an even six in my cart ($5.69 each).

Later after a bit more research I discovered they were made by T.G. Hawkes Crystal, likely circa 1950s.

I had never heard of Hawkes but it turns out their work through the decades was exquisite. T.G. Hawkes Crystal was founded in 1890 and ceased production in 1962. In 2016 it reopened under new management! (You can learn more about the company on the Hawkes site.)

Besides using them for sipping a bit of “champers” they would be perfect for serving elegant little desserts or for a special cocktail.

On the mystery front, I bought this primitive hand-carved stone figure at a boutique thrift store. But what the heck is it? How old is it? Where did it come from?

It has a smooth exterior with a slight sheen but it has been dinged over the years and has natural variations in the stone.

After a tiny bit of research at home, I found it does resemble figures from the Mexico, most notably from the Mezcala culture. So perhaps that’s a start, but I have so many questions that need to be answered before I can think of listing it. I rather wish I could get an expert to look at it. Likely it’s nothing wildly old though I always dream of finding some pre-Columbian artifact!

Of course some of you be wondering why I would take a gamble on this item–well, I love odd things, but it was also marked down 75%, plus I got an additional 10% off for being an old fart, so I couldn’t so no!!! We’ll see if it pans out. Do let me know if you have any thoughts or wisdom about it.

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen