The following treasure is from the living estate of Ailene & Buddy Ford; noted dealers and lifelong collectors of exceptional antique & vintage heirlooms. The Ford estate presents highly valuable items from a diverse group of genres, 95% + in excellent condition. This exquisite estate has something for every eclectic collector! xxxxxxxxxxx. The AEAA is exceptionally proud to showcase this ULTRA RARE, incredible & properly Kelva signed, ladies VANITY & HANDKERCHIEF BOX combination, finished in the classic C.F. Monroe mottled batik background, and brilliantly hand painted in what appears to be a magnificent bearded iris motif. This unique 1895-1898 large box contains its original tilt vanity beveled mirror, and has marvelous ormolu Joiner-work overall. The base is properly script signed Wave Crest KELVA, and in our 50 years, WE HAVE NEVER SEEN A FINER AND MORE COMPLETE KELVA BOX! This one of a kind Wave Crest Kelva treasure sits 8 inches in diameter, 3.5 inches tall, weighs 3#, and IN ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR CONDITION. WITHOUT THE MIRROR, this box was listed at $750 and VERY RARE, by Cohen (see a form match on Page #158) over 30 years ago! xxxxxxxxxxx. In 1877, Charles Fabyan Monroe was hired as a decorator by the Meriden Flint Glass Co. He showed such promise and imagination, that he was frequently sent abroad to study new designs and techniques of European glass manufacturers. Having developed an exceptional sense of style, C.F. Monroe opened his first shop in Meriden, CT. in 1880, located at 36 West Main Street, operating initially in the format of a European glass importer. Shortly thereafter in 1882, he began his decorating studio, and by 1885 had opened an art academy also in Meriden, that became the C.F. Monroe opal glass decorating works in 1886. The C.F. Monroe Co. was formally incorporated in 1892, and introduced the Wave Crest line that was patented on Oct. 4, of that same year. Using primarily the highly stylized original glass forms from Mt. Washington / Pairpoint Glass, the Monroe decorations became some of the most beloved creations of the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. When the 1890’s arrived and the demand for finely decorated glass was its height, the Monroe company was located in several large buildings on the corner of West Main Street and Capitol Avenue, and employed such fine artists as Carl V. Helmschmied (the Helmschmied swirl pattern was designed and patented by C.F. Monroe Co. during Carl’s employ), Walter Nilson, J.J. Knoblauch, Joseph Hickish, Carl Puffee, Flora Fiest, Gustave Reinman, Florence Knoblauch, Emil Melchior, and Alma Wenk, Blanche Duval, Gussie Stremlan, Elizabeth Zeibart, and Elizabeth Casey. The majority of Monroe pieces may be divided into three main categories; Wave Crest, Nakara, and Kelva, and pieces may be found with one of the other of these three signatures. Kelva is rarer than the base Wave Crest stamp, and generally is found in much more complex shapes, and it is always found with its unique, mottled, batik-like background (probably produced by a sponge or crumpled rage dipped in enamel). While Wave Crest and Nakara are found with all types of motifs, Kelva pieces are virtually always found with floral decor. On rare occasions, the same blank was used for all three types of finishes. The financial details are not entirely clear, however by the start of WW I, external pressures were taking a major toll on C.F. Monroe. Consequently, the glass decorating works only survived until 1916, when inexplicably, Monroe took a lesser position as the glass foreman for Edward Miller & Co. Glass Works of Meriden. Stranger yet, C.F. Monroe soon relinquished the position at E. Miller & Co., subsequently moving to New Hampshire in 1919, C.F. Monroe passed away quietly on Nov. 19, 1919 at his home in Meriden, and was buried in the Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, R.I.

XA - B192 - Excellent condition - no lining