Steph Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 What are salt-glazed marbles? Who made them? P.s., when do you have too many marbles? I just found 3 micas. That may not sound like many to you. But I didn't remember having any. LOL. I might have too many marbles. But anyway, I have a black ceramic marble, which doesn't seem quite like a Bennington. And a couple of different looking brown ones also. And I'm wondering if any of them might be the kind I once upon a time saw described as salt-glazed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Opp Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 Good grief! If you really don't want those micas, send them to me! The only marbles I have too many of is cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 LOL. I'm excited to have them. I just didn't remember it! How could I forget them? I need to visit my marbles more often !!1! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffy Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 (edited) its a well known process and explained here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_glaze_pottery...prob everybody who made stoneware marbles used the glaze...thats how the eyes got on the bennigton types from where they were touching each other in the kiln when fired... Edited March 18, 2010 by Scoop added link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 I might have too many marbles. There are many impossibilities in life.... That's one of 'em.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 The bottom left one here is brown and black and has some orange peel texture. It's the one I most suspect to be salt-glazed. I figure the black one on the right is probably a Bennie but it's unusual so I haven't been sure. The other side is mostly white. There is some splatter of other colors but the black dominates. The brown one in the top middle is glassy smooth. Much smoother than it looks in the scan. I guess it might be a bennie but it looks different from my obvious bennies. Much smoother and a different shade. Has a few rough spots but nothing I'd call eye. The dark green one on the left is a stray oddball. I can't tell whether it's glass, ceramic, stone or bubble gum. Smoother than it looks in the pic but it has a rough spot which you can see. Also has a few red specks which look a little like oxblood. The AMT at the top right is there just to reward you for your patience with the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david Chamberlain Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 I'd weigh the green one along with a glass marble of the same size to eliminate that possibility o/w you're left with 'destructive analysis.' I had a dynamite 1 3/4" Blue Bennington that was for real with no eyes and perfectly smooth surface. It had shadings of blue from navy blue to cobalt blue. Then I also had a Robert Brown Blue Bennington and a Robt. Brown Fancy Bennington that blew me away. Ran into him at a flea mkt. west of Charleston in the early 1990s and told him about the two marbles and got his Scout's Honor to somehow sign his marbles in the future in whatever way he could manage. Nice guy. They called him Brownie and he was as brown as a berry. David P.S. All of yours look legit; Scoop would know forsure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 There are a fair number of oddities in 19th century glazed mibs, I suspect it's due to the variability of the glaze chemicals and the kiln heat. I have a few black ones (maybe ballot-box mibs), green ones, a couple of pink ones, etc. I don't think of them as bennies if they don't have the bennington "eyes," but that may just be me. They're all probably made in very much the same way. Paul Baumann singles out the pink ones (no "eyes") as being called American majolica, and I'd be perfectly happy with that, except I'm worrying over the fact that I got mine in Germany . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david Chamberlain Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 'Pink' pretty much trumps all other bennington, lined crockery, china characteristics.....David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 Scoop would know forsure. Thanks for the props David... But, no... I'd have to go with Ann on that score... WAY too many possibilities to be sure of most anything outside of the ordinary... My Dad grew up in Adams, Ma... Not too far from Bennington, Vt. Years ago, on a family outting, we visited the modern factory outlet... They had a bin of HUGE Bennington type marbles... Larger than the largest German size. But, they may have had smaller ones too. It seems to me, some had bits of other colors, like green, red or yellow in the glaze Why didn't I buy any??? Why don't I remember what I saw??? Things that happen when you don't realize how important that information may be in the future... All I can say is.... At a marble show, I saw someone ask a well know "expert" about a marble that was WAY too large for a Bennington and they were assured that "Yes, it certainly was!! Biggest one I've ever seen!!!" 'Had I not seen the ones I had, with my own eyes, I'd probably have said the same.... Hmmmmmmmm, I'd bet lunch that marble came from the modern pottery... I've never been able to find out anything more about them... But, it just shows to go ya, that there are things "out there," that we don't know about.... I always picked up (Whenever possible) the Akron pottery marbles, like the one Steph shows... I always thought they were cool... 'Never had a clue what they were until Brian talked about them... Oh..... Back on the more specific topic.... Steph, I'm not positive... But I think the closest thing to a "Salt Glaze" up there is the Akron marble... I always thought of it as a lighter gray-ish, brown-ish glaze with a bit of an orange peel texture... Like the old crocks and jugs that had the blue decorations painted on them. Brown Benningtons would be considered "Rockingham Glaze".... I'm not sure what the blue would be called.... "Cobalt" I guess...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 ... But I think the closest thing to a "Salt Glaze" up there is the Akron marble... I always thought of it as a lighter gray-ish, brown-ish glaze with a bit of an orange peel texture... Like the old crocks and jugs that had the blue decorations painted on them. Brown Benningtons would be considered "Rockingham Glaze".... I'm not sure what the blue would be called.... "Cobalt" I guess...... What Sue said. At least for the U.S. And it took me a couple of years to corral one of those Akron mibs -- nice example, Steph! And cobalt sounds good for the usual blue benny coloring, FWIW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronmarbles Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 Pink glazed American / Akron made - extremely rare. One more Akron pink - size is 2" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david Chamberlain Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 Those just pictured are to die for. Sue, I was figuring on the Bev Brule connection for Bennington reference. It has been time honored understanding that the name Bennington though did not derive from the Bennington VT plant as it pertained to the Bennington marbles we almost all have at least common examples of. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted March 18, 2010 Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 Pink glazed American / Akron made - extremely rare. One more Akron pink - size is 2" NICE! Never seen any like those . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 19, 2010 Report Share Posted March 19, 2010 WOW!!! Are those for REAL??? COOL!!! I'd never have guessed.... I have to go diggin' through Brian's website again!!! It has been time honored understanding that the name Bennington though did not derive from the Bennington VT plant as it pertained to the Bennington marbles we almost all have at least common examples of. Because the Bennington pottery made a lot of items with the Rockingham glaze, it was "assumed" by many that the marbles were from there, also.... 'Course, in that time frame, most every major pottery probably used a lot of the Rockingham glaze... Bennington was the "Big Buck" name at the antique shows, though.... It made a good story at the time!!! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbleblood Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Love learning new things and especially marbles i have not seen before. Some of you already know - I love the details! Those Akron's are so cool and have great history - which I enjoy just as much. I was reading about the large sizes of Bennington's in the thread, when it made me think of our pretty big Fancy Bennington we picked up at a collectors auction. He was downsizing and we were lucky enough to come home with it at a very reasonable price. I thought it had size going for it and no one else bidding seem to take that into too much consideration I guess because it didn't last long. In any case, my wife and I truly enjoy it. Apparently it is towards the upper end on size for Fancy Ben"s - which makes it such a special piece for us - not to mention that I finally used my head for something more than just a vessel for eye balls. It's 1-9/16" and in excellent condition - with only hints of "eye's" - which I thought was relevant too. Thanks for such great info and photos everyone. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Holy Smolies, Jim!!! That is AWESOME!!! After a while, it's easy to stop noticing Benningtons... There's just SO many... But, once in a while... For those who are paying attention (Key!!) something like that rolls along!! Those who snooze lose and you were wide awake!!! Great score!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Yes, very nice Jim! So mine is a fancy. If I say it a few times, I'll get used to the thought. With one side almost solid black, I didn't really notice the splatter colors until just recently. But it's a fancy. fancy. fancy. fancy. lol. Okay, I got it now. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbleblood Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Thanks Sue! - and very well put (on noticing Benningtons) - and it did work in my favor that time! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbleblood Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Fancy Steph! Fancy! Jim(-: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 LOL Jim. Thanks for the grin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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