Name/Title
MarbleEntry/Object ID
2004.021.042Description
Painted white porcelain marble found in the parlor of 607 Grove Street during archaeological excavation. This marble was made from white clay, painted, and then baked. The baking process made for a harder marble than normal clay marbles. Starting in the mid-1840s, German toy makers fashioned marbles from porcelain and decorated these otherwise white marbles with hand-painted designs, including geometric patterns and flowers. Five percent of China marbles made during this early period (1840 - 1870) were decorated with flowers. This marble is unglazed, and has a band of three painted light blue lines. In two places on the surface, a design of a flower with a green stem, leaves, and three pink petals was painted. The porcelain is non-porous. The sphere is not perfectly round, it was obviously handmade.
Reference: Block, Stanley A., ed. Marble Mania. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1998.