Vintage Porcelain & Glass Bells

Many people collect many things. Collecting is when you seek, get, organize and display whatever it is you like to collect. Some collectors collect stamps, coins, political memorabilia others collect beanie babies, porcelain or glass bells or vintage art glass. A collection may include antiques, vintage collectibles, modern collectibles or a combination of all, depending on taste and interests. Some collections, such as fine art collections, may worth millions of dollars while other collections may have more sentimental value than monetary value.

This week, Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring vintage porcelain and glass bells. Vintage bell collectors usually collect bells depending on what their interests are. For example, some bell collectors may collect memorabilia from certain cities, towns or places they have visited, such as Las Vegas. Others may collect anything with Currier & Ives scenery, Japanese Satsuma Pottery or Fenton art glass. Some bell collectors are just bell collectors and collect all types of bells. Collectible bells also vary in price, from a few dollars to several thousands of dollars. We saw one example of an antique silver bell recently sell on eBay for more than $11,000.

Lefton China - Porcelain Collectibles

George Zolton Lefton was a Hungarian Jew who left his home country for a better life in 1939. Originally, Mr. Lefton was involved in making sportswear, however his passion and hobby had been collecting fine porcelains. In 1941 he opened Lefton China in Chicago, Illinois and in 1945 he signed his first agreement with a Japanese company to import products marked “Made in Occupied Japan.”

The Lefton China Company produced many things over the years including cookie jars, figurines, head vases and teapots that are highly prized by collectors. The quality of the goods that this company has produced over the years has been generally accepted as good. Lefton China continued to import porcelain products from Japan until the mid-1970’s, after which they started importing from Taiwan and Malaysia. In 2005, OMT enterprises purchased the company but Lefton products live on for the collector.

Capodimonte Porcelain

Capodimonte porcelain dates back to the reign of Charles of Bourbon and the Kingdom of Naples in the eighteenth century. Charles initially set a side a small building at his Royal Palace to produce porcelain under the artistic director Giovanni Caselli and chemist Livio Ottavio Scheppers. However, by 1743, he had determined that the conditions of the small building did not allow for an appropriate and efficient work environment, so he commissioned construction of a new factory in Capodimonte.

Charles ascended to the Spanish throne in 1759 after the death of Philip V. When he left Naples he ordered the Capodimonte factory demolished and took all of his porcelain manufacturing secrets with him to Madrid, Spain. Charles’ son, Ferdinand succeeded his father as King of Naples and started another factory where his father had pulled up roots. By 1772, a new factory, known as the Royal Factory, had been built and production resembled the original Capodimonte factory.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives January 5, 2005 . . . .