New Release Is Reference Book On Burmese Glass

BOOK REVIEW

This Four horn epergne has hand painted pink roses. It was decorated by Louise Piper; each piece is signed and dated 5/15/85.

Authors Debbie and Randy Coe have recently written a reference

book on the lovely art glass known by collectors as Burmese, and specifically on the Fenton Art Glass Company’s version of it.

Burmese glass was originally developed by the Mount Washington Glass Company in 1885. It is a soft shade of yellow that, when reheated in the glass factory’s glory hole, fades into a salmon-pink color. It is said to have received the name by which it is now known when a piece was presented to Queen Victoria, who claimed that it reminded her of a Burma sunset.

Glass formulas are closely guarded secrets by the glass companies and the chemists who work for them. The formula for Burmese glass was among those secrets.

A Fenton Art Glass Company chemist named Charlie Goe, after years of experimentation, finally unlocked the mystery

of the Mt. Washington Burmese formula, and in 1969 the first successful Fenton Burmese was produced. Unfortunately, Goe died later on the same day that he experienced this fantastic success.

Fenton has continued to produce Burmese glass up to the present. It is pictured in Fenton Burmese Glass, along with biographical information of the Fenton family, the Fenton designers, decorators, chemists, and other skilled employees.

It sells for $29.95. Check with your local bookseller, order from Schiffer online at www.schifferbooks.com or request an autographed copy from the authors at 2459 SE T.V. Hwy, PMB #321, Hillsboro, OR 97123-7919. Please add $3 for shipping if ordering from the authors.

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Add To A Collection On A Visit To The Big Island Of Hawaii

A trip to the Big Island of Hawaii is usually one for vacation purposes. However, if you' re a collector or dealer of antiques, there is no way you won't find yourself out looking for places to shop.

Before I go any further, let me mention that the Big Island, while the largest of the Hawaiian Islands, is not where Honolulu is located. Honolulu is a large city - over one million people. The two main towns on the Big Island are Hilo and Kailua-Kona and they are both fairly small towns.

Don't look for malls on this island. As of this writing, there are none on the island. In fact, one shop owner indicated she'd certainly like to shop in one sometime; they seemed like such a good idea, and maybe she should be the first on the island to start one. I'll be sure to check next time we're back on the island.

The shops that are here are small, tend to be cluttered, and are a lot of fun to poke around in. You just never know what might show up in a dusty corner. However, thanks to reference books and eBay, most of the dealers have a good working knowledge of where pricing should be. We found very few real bargains. On the flip side, with one exception, we found merchandise to be very reasonably priced - in other words, good shopping for collectors and not so good for dealers.

In all the shops on the island, you'll find lots of Orientalia. Not only is the state made up of a large population with Far East origins, it also has a large tourist trade with the East, especially Japan. However, one shopkeeper told me that her Japanese customers were looking primarily for Pyrex and Fire King. And every shop we were in did have a lot of these two brands.

Since antique shops come and go, we may have missed some, but following is a fairly complete list of the shops you might want to visit if you are on the Big Island (which is also the island of Hawaii, the same name as the state, which tends to cause confusion.)

In Kailua-Kona, the main town on the west and tourist side of the island is Once in a Blue Moon. The shop has been in business for several years. As you drive into town from the airport, it's located behind the Harley Davidson store, although you have to get to it by driving around several blocks. There's a big variety of merchandise, from Oriental screens to fruit jars.

Heading south, toward the volcano, is the community of Kealakekua, home of the "Little Grass Shack in Hawaii," of song fame. Discovery Antiques is on the right side of the street and painted bright red. It also features ice cream, a nice plus. This shop has also been in business for many years and has a knowledgeable proprietor, but there's a wide selection of merchandise at reasonable prices.

About two miles further south is Antiques and Orchids. This is a new shop, and attention has been given to display. Prices tend to be on the high side, although we did make a couple of purchases. It also carries some new locally made merchandise.

Continuing south, we didn't find any other shopping stops until we were past the volcano. Then, if you are there on a Sunday, you might want to stop at the Flea Market in Pahoa.

Pahoa is off the main highway, on Hwy 130. The Flea Market is held every Sunday and is a mix of everything from sunglasses and fresh fruit to garage sale finds from Saturday. We bought a few of those. (If you've come this far, go another 10 miles and see where the lava flowed across the highway in the 1980s, permanently closing the lower road round the island.)

We didn't find any antique shops in the town of Hilo. It seems like there should be one or two, and the phone book referenced an estate jewelry shop, but if others were there, we missed them.

Continuing on around the north side of the island, just off the road is the very small town of Honoka'a. We regularly visit two places there: the Honoka'a Trading Post and Seconds to Go.

Seconds to Go is very full, crowded and dusty, so you might find a treasure tucked in somewhere. This year we didn't, although we have in the past. The Honoka'a Trading Post is somewhat larger and things aren't quite so crowded. We found several buys this year. Both places are, for the most part, reasonably priced. Both places have been in business a long time, so the proprietors have a good feel for selling prices. However, it doesn't appear a lot of research goes into the pricing, so you might find a "sleeper."

Heading on around the island, back toward Kailua-Kona, one route will take you through Waimea, the home of the well-known Parker Ranch. There are also two places to shop here, both located on Hwy. 19. One, the Waimea Trading Post, was closed when we were there this year.. The other, about a block away, is Antiques By... It's a small house, with merchandise nicely displayed. (Don't forget to open the cupboard doors in the kitchen.) This place had probably the best assortment of Hawaiian collectibles we saw anywhere on the island - almost the entire front room - although every shop, of course, had some.

Back in Kailua-Kona, and almost straight up the mountains at 3,000 feet, is the community of Holualoa. It is primarily a one-street town of art galleries, featuring items made of wood, glass, and porcelain, in addition to all types of paintings. There is also one antique shop, Cinderella's. We've purchased items there in the past, although on our visit this year, we found it closed, and no posted hours. So if you're going to Holualoa just for antiques, you'd better call first. The village is a nice visit in its own right, however, and is "anchored" by the Kona Hotel, a hot-pink two-story structure that hasn't changed much since it was built in the early 1900s.

So - if you're headed for the Big Island of Hawaii, and need a break from sun, sand, surf, snorkeling and sightseeing, and you've bought your quota of Hawaiian shirts, muumuus and souvenirs, these are some spots where you can look for additions to your collections of old things.

Donna Miller

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