Imperial Hattie Purple Chop Plate

This plate represents one of those times I'm sure every collector has experienced at an auction. We came into the auction to preview the glass with preconceived ideas of what we wanted and instead we fell head over heels in love with something else - this plate! And we weren't looking to buy a Hattie chop plate. It wasn't on our wish list. The ones we had seen at earlier auctions never inspired us and the auction picture for this one didn't do it any favors either. So it certainly did complicate things for us in terms of our budget when we actually saw it in person!

The plate literally glows with luminious yellow iridescence beneath the bright blue geometric pattern which in turn radiates out from the most beautiful rainbow center to an edge of "flame". Can you tell we love it?

Once it was safely in our hands and then safely here at home, it has repaid us many times over. It doesn't matter what shelf we put it on or what the light conditions are - it always looks incredibly beautiful! In fact, we look at it and marvel that something so beautiful could belong to us.

It's really quite humbling to think we have become its latest caretakers and now we must be sure it survives to share its beauty with the next collector. That's what we all must consider ourselves, temporary caretakers, privileged to live with and enjoy the glass for a while until it's time to pass them on.

We purchased this beauty at the Karen Engel auction in June of 2017, which was held at the Jim Wroda Auctions facility in Greenville, Ohio.

The Mike & Nanci Messana Collection