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Of Beeskeps and Bees ...
— by Ann Graham In 1997 I bought my first three Breen ornaments: Golf Bag and Ball for my husband, Victorian Spider and Web for my son, and Clover Beeskep and Bee for myself. My beeskep came out only at Christmas time as a keepsake of my other beehive collection. Then, three years ago when we moved into our present home, the dining room table seemed the perfect location to display my Cottage Ware beehive collection. While displaying it, I thought the center needed a bit of height. I unpacked my Breen beeskep ornaments and purchased the perfect display stand from Scott Smith (before he formed Rucus Studio and began to create his amazing paper mache ornaments). |
| Now armed with a “reason” and “need” to locate Patricia’s beeskeps and bee motif ornaments, I embarked upon a quest! It is every collector’s euphoria to be able to display across medium — to interplay two collections together. Wow, what a thought! Over the past three years, largely through gracious members of the Glass Links Discussions List, I have successfully acquired all the ornaments missing from my beeskep and bee motif collection. My husband is now resigned that the dining room table is really a “display” table, available for “dining” only during the holidays.
Like most ornament collectors, glass wasn’t my first obsession. I am genetically predisposed to collecting, having been dragged through many antique shows during my adolescence. My Royal Winton Cottage Ware is an offshoot of my mother’s vast Chintz China collection. Cottage Ware is a type of molded relief china from the 1930s. Created in sets of tea services, most are replicas of the colorful cottages that dot the English countryside. Many sport fanciful motifs such as pixies, cockerels and beehives. The beehive ware is among the most sought after among collectors. There are beehive teapots, biscuit barrels and toast racks all cheerfully accented with hollyhocks, delphiniums and bees. |
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Patricia and I discuss my collection each year at event time. What new pieces have I found? Since her inspiration was an inkwell, it is not a great leap to understand my appreciation of beehive cottage ware. Of course, I've shared photos with her showing the Breen bee motif ornaments intermixed with the English cottage ware.
My Patricia Breen beeskep and bee motif pieces are now displayed year round. Periodic dusting with a small sable paintbrush is truly a labor of devotion. During such a chore last year, inspiration struck ... by an underdog ornament no less. I would become Beeskep-Do for the annual costume contest at the Christmas At the Zoo event in Portland, Oregon. Throughout the summer, my preschool aged daughter and I visited craft stores and studies the various shades of golden fabrics. As the appointed night approached, I was seriously reconsidering my design. Everyone had created truly incredible costumes. Would anyone understand my choice? It was all worth it when I saw Patricia's expression! As another beeskep devotee she understood my obsession. |
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As my ornament collection is now of a size to migrate into the cabinets housing my husband's vintage cut crystal, he asked: “What is the goal? How many ornaments do you want?” I gave him the only answer that makes sense: “More”! |
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