Greatest Show Barnum and Bailey Circus Elephant Clown Pairpoint Glass Cup Plate

Description

Barnum and Bailey Circus The Greatest Show on Earth Pairpoint Glass Cup Plate 31
Vintage Elephant with Clown Circus Parade Art Glass 70s Home Decor
Made in USA
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus vintage cup plate has been extremely popular among glass collectors and those who collect circus memorabilia. The center design shows a clown and elephant, and the border is a miniature circus parade and the famous words “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Commissioned by Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1976, the 3.5 inch cup plate was hand-pressed on a machine that was over 100 years old. Limited to 4,000 lead crystal glass plates, the pressing began in 1977, and the mold destroyed in 1980. The last photo is of a different cup plate and is for size illustration only. Vintage Pairpoint Glass lead crystal cup plates are wonderful works of art glass. The 3.5 inch cup plates were hand crafted in the older traditional ways, with the artisan working with hammer and chisel to create the steel molds used for each design. The molten glass for each coaster size cup plate was carefully hand pressed into the engraved mold using an antique glass press. This hand process created a series of cup plates that were similar, but not identical. The art glass is not perfect, and you may see tiny bubbles, lovely little swirls of color, etc. The beautiful irregularities highlight the handmade nature of each cup plate. When you review the photos with the zoom feature, remember that the little imperfections you see may not be noticeable to the naked eye. If you look closely, you can see that each cup plate has the artisan's initials and the Pairpoint trademark discreetly embedded within the design.
Additional Information:
SIZE - Coaster like - Approximately 3.5" in diameter; .5" in height
SHIPPING - Your cup plate will be professionally packaged in a vintage box and shipped in a padded bubble mailer via First Class USPS mail from Maine. The vintage box will likely be marked with handwriting or staining. When an order contains items from more than one listing, shipping is automatically adjusted. Priority mail is also available.
PHOTOS - Enlarge all photos to verify condition. The photos that show the greatest detail can appear a little different than the actual color of the cup plate.
CONDITION - It is normal that Pairpoint cup plates have handcrafted characteristics such as a swirl in the center of the plate, small lines not part of the design, bubbles, specks, or tiny flecks.
MADE IN AMERICA - The Pairpoint Glass Co. of Sagamore, MA, which is on Cape Cod, is the oldest glass making company in the USA. The company is well-known for manufacturing quality crystal cup plates from the 1920's through the 1990's. Historical societies, museums, churches, and other non-profit organizations commissioned most of the vintage cup plates.
CUP PLATE IDEAS - Window sill decorations are a wonderful way to display cup plates as the crystal art glass looks lovely as sun catchers. Other uses include:
Dinner table butter pat, tea bag, or mint dishes
Guest favor place card holders for weddings or showers
Guest soap, ring, trinket, or accessory vanity dishes
Small coasters for gourmet appetizers, small bites, chocolates, or cupcakes
Eclectic glass for stained glass or other art glass projects
ABOUT ME - The majority of the cup plates I sell are from my personal collection. My mother, who was an early member of Cape Cod's Pairpoint Cup Plate Collectors of America (PCPCA) started my collection in the 1970's. I am now downsizing and offering my cup plates to people who appreciate this beautiful form of art glass.
ADDITIONAL CUP PLATES - Be sure to check my other items for current listings. If you are looking for a specific plate or more plates in a listed design, let me know. If I have the plate, I will list it.