WE SHIP! The AEAA is proud to present this Mammoth, spectacular & RARE hand painted C.F. Monroe, Wave Crest / M. Washington, giant Helmschmeid swirl handkerchief box with the truly hard to find (per Cohen) factory installed metal base plate. This giant hanky box features splendid pink and white hand painted enamel flowers, has special wide 6 band Ormolu joiner-work, AND, its original liner! Our treasure dates between 1900 & 1902, stands a prominent 7 x 7 x 6.5 inches tall, weighing 3# 2 oz., and is in wonderful condition! A match with our exact jewel legs, can be seen on Page #92 of The Glass Of C.F. Monroe / by Wilfred Cohen, currently listing in the $600-$700 range. COHEN HIMSELF, WHO THOUGHT THE BASE TO BE REPAIRED, HAD TO VERIFY THE METAL BASE AS BEING FROM THE FACTORY! THIS FEATURE ONLY ADS TO THE RARITY of this classic Mt. Washington / Wave Crest heirloom, and belongs in a world class collection.This fine heirloom is from the living estate of Ailene & Buddy Ford, respected, longtime dealers of valuable antiques. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. 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. While many of Monroe’s most commercial pieces were signed, a large number of the finest pieces, especially in the Wave Crest line were not signed. 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 - B206 - excellent condition