The following treasure is from the living estate of Ailene & Buddy Ford; noted dealers and lifelong collectors of exceptional antique & vintage heirlooms. The AEAA is exceptionally pleased to present one of a mammoth group of approximately (100) Rare & beautiful Mt. Washington + Rodefer Glass / C.F. Monroe, hand decorated Wave Crest pieces, to be sold over several auctions. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx This lot represents a lovely & Rare, Rodefer blown out (puffy) Rococo relief Opal Glass blank, large necklace box. This magnificented Ormolu claw foot & Peacock feather box, is finished in a gorgeous spring pink and blue floral spray, featuring a scroll Rococo border, Doric Greek colums at the corners, and a tri column blown base. This Rare and exceptional Rodefer form has the special Ormolu Fleur-de-Lis clasp, & carries the proper banner & shield Wave Crest Trade Mark stamp, and is in excellent condition with its original lining (some wear). an EXACT MATCH TO OUR BOX can be seen in Wave Crest The Glass Of C.F. Monroe / by Wilfred Cohen, on Page #87. This stunning Rodefer / Wave Crest puffy is in wonderful condition, weighing 2# 5 oz., and measuring a prominent 5 x 5 x 6 inches tall, and is estimated today between $350 & $450 in its great condition. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. The T. A. Rodefer Glass Co. mainly produced hand-blown and hand-pressed items for other companies (blown and pressed specialties in private molds), but also prismatic sidewalk, floor, sash and skylights, battery jars, opal ware blanks, lantern globes and lamp chimneys in lime and lead glass. UP TO 1910, OPAL GLASS BLANKS WERE TO SEND TO MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, TO BE DECORATED AT THE C. F. MONROE FACTORY. THE FINAL PRODUCT BECAME, WAVE CREST, NAKARA AND KELVA VASES, PLAQUES AND BOXES. 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 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- B123 - Excellent condition - original lining has some wear