Posts: 2334
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 01-25-2012 05:24 PM            

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My wife collects items that have bees or beeskepes on them and the above item features two removable bee skepes. There is room under the bee skepes to hold an inkwell and perhaps this was originally made for a desk. When we brought the items nothing was under the beeskepes.

The item is not marked in anyway and I have no idea where it was made. Given the naturalist nature it may have been made by a blacksmith in the latter part of the 1800s or the early part of the 1900s. The dealer thought that it was made in Eastern Europe although most countries had blacksmiths that could have made this.

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posted 01-25-2012 05:25 PM            

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The bee’s skepes dealer had the above item with it. This must have been made by the same hand and we think that it was meant to hold a small bowl. We did not want to separate the two items so we brought this one also. We usually put a large glass reflecting ball in it and that gives it a fortune telling feeling.

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posted 01-26-2012 06:44 PM            

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Above are some more bee skepes - this time in the form of biscuit boxes and a string holder. The large box on a stand was retailed by Howell James and Co. while the smaller one was a later version made by Mottahedeh. The string holder is not marked. I think that the two bee skepes on stands were made in the late 1800s or early 1900s. The Mottahedeh is probably of recent manufacture and for some reason they left off the stand.

I have seen in books pictures of bee skepes made from silver, but have never seen one in real life. Does anyone have a silver one? I would love to see a picture of it or any other items that you may have related to bees.

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posted 01-29-2012 10:37 PM            

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The pottery shown above was made by a Pottery from upstate New York. I included a couple of pictures of their toad houses as their pottery contains iron in addition to clay and as a result can stay outside all winter long. I have no idea why the iron addition protects them from damage in freezing conditions – that is a mysterious to me as to why copper when included with silver makes a stronger product.
Also of course these are in the shape of bee skepes and that is why my wife was interested in them. The small ones are about 10 inches tall while the large one is 20 inches tall.

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posted 05-21-2012 09:32 PM            

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I found this modern silver lustreware witch’s ball in with the rest of the antique lustreware just at the time I finished reading Erin Morgenstern’s book The Night Circus. The metal work stand works flawlessly to hold the witch’s ball in place for perfect viewing. After I figure out how to predict the future from the reflected images I might join the Night Circus.

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