Joshua Slocum Spray Sailing Alone Around the World Fairhaven Pairpoint Cup Plate

Description

Fairhaven MA Bank Collectible Pairpoint Glass Cup Plate 111
The Spray Joshua Slocum Sailing Sloop Vintage Window Decoration
Made in USA
This nautical teal crystal Pairpoint Glass cup plate features The Spray, an oyster sailing sloop that the legendary Joshua Slocum rebuilt and sailed around the world.  The sloop was rebuilt in Fairhaven, Massachusetts by Captain Joshua Slocum, one of most legendary of all the great American sea captains. The morning of June 27, 1898, Captain Slocum sailed the 37' "Spray" into the harbor at Newport, Rhode Island after completing the feat of becoming the first man to sail around the world alone. His story was chronicled in his classic, "Sailing Alone Around the World." Eleven years later, he once again set out alone, but he and the "Spray" were never seen again. Pairpoint plate number 111 was commissioned by the National Bank of Fairhaven. The informational insert provides a history on The Spray, Captain Slocum, and where models of the ship can be viewed in the Fairhaven and New Bedford area. The pressing of this variant version (anchors were added) of the cup plate was limited to 1,000. The dates 1831 - 1981 honor the Fairhaven Bank's 150th anniversary. 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 suncatchers. 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 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.