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PH: An example of a cane-cut marble made from a cane of glass, then cut,
shaped, and polished. It is believed that marbles have been known in some
form since 2500 BC based on archeological excavations. In the second half
of the 19th century, a number of marble works were opened by several
German families. German-made glass marbles represented the bulk of
the marble market until the 1920s, after which mechanized production
and trade restrictions during and following WWI ended the German
monopoly on marble manufacture.
The production of handmade marbles was very labor intensive; the
creation of a handmade swirl required between four and 12 separate,
manual steps. Glass marbles come in different varieties: agates,
Benningtons, cat’s-eyes, clambroth, micas,
onionskins, etc.
Founded in 1934, the world’s largest
current manufacturer of playing marbles is
Vacor de Mexico which makes about 90 per-
cent of the world’s marbles, producing over
design is still being produced by current-day weavers. Early rugs, those with
12 million daily.
elaborate designs and interesting variations, will attract the most interest and This oversize marble appears to be a
highest prices. Storm rug’s pricing at auction varies widely, starting in the low
Ribbon-core Swirl variety. Some examples
hundreds of dollars and progressing into the thousands. A rug by a known of similar size marbles sold include: a 2.25-
weaver can enhance the price.
inch End-of-Day Onionskin marble sold for
$11,000 at Rich Penn Auctions in May
2022, and a 2 5/16-inch Shrunken Core
$1,736 (28 bids, 14 bidders): Antique German, Rare, Huge, 2 3/8-inch, Onionskin sold for $11,000 at Dan Morphy
Single-core, Twisty, Peppermint Ribbon Marble. It has some light reflec-
Auction in 2013. (These examples represent
tion on the marble. It is about 2 3/8 inches in diameter so it is big. I am not similar sizes but are rarer varieties.) Marbles
a marble expert. This marble is not perfect. Has small chips and flea bites and
larger than usual have many names: boulder,
a couple of factory imperfections. For as rare as this marble is, I would guess bonker, masher, plumper, popper, shooter,
overall, it is pretty decent. If you are a mint, mint, mint condition person, this
thumper, and biggie to name a few.
may not be for you. Anything 130 years old, in my opinion, cannot be
considered mint. Pontils on top and bottom of marble. (Photos courtesy of
Philip Hawkins, ISA AM, AAG is an accredited member of the International Society
Ron Holloway.)
of Appraisers and a founding member of the Appraisers Association of Georgia. He
can be reached via the ISA website or at 404-320-7275.

“We felt that we had insider access to
each wonderful historic site.”

“You always have a great selection of
private venues, and it’s fun to see the hosts
enjoying our visits.”

“Very well thought out, planned, and
orchestrated. Amazing attention to detail.”

“Such a nice trip with a friendly

group of people. Thank you!”

THE DECORATIVE ARTS TRUST

Join us in Sicily, East Anglia, or France in 2023!
Learn more at decorativeartstrust.org/travel

Clockwise from top right: Palais Royal, Paris; Monreale; Cappella Palatina, Sicily;
Palazzo Butera, Palermo; Wolterton Hall, Norfolk; Audley End,Cambridge.

October 2022 9