Northwood Pulled Husk Corn Vase Purple Tri-Corner Ruffled Top Whimsey

Kay Livezey of Deltona, Florida wrote to me in November 2017 using the Carnival Glass Showcase "Contact Us" link to say, "Re: Northwood Pulled Husk Corn Vase Purple: I own one of these vases however mine has a fluted top. It has been in my family at least 70 years and I have never seen one exactly like it. I recently considered selling it but don't really have the contacts to do so. There is a picture at the bottom of the page Corn Vase, Northwood~Doty.com.  If you know anyone that might be interested please contact me. Thank you for your time. Kay Livezey."

I knew the vase she was talking about right away. I wondered about it several times and now it found me. Kay and I exchanged a few emails until we made plans for my visit to see it during my next visit to Florida during the first part of February 2018. I thought to land in Orlando, visit a friend, then drive up to Deltona an hour away to see the vase. Then I could mosey on over to the Tampa Bay Carnival Glass convention and Tom Burns auction on St. Pete's Island after that. Perfect! and that is what I did.



During my visit, I was greeted by Kay and her husband Roy (above) and their little dog too. Kay graciously began to tell me the wonderful history behind the vase. It was her grandmother, Elizabeth Reid, who bought the vase in a box lot for 25 cents at an auction in Union City, Tennessee where they lived in 1935. Her 5-year-old daughter (Kay's mother) Melbalene, loved this Corn Vase and asked her mother if she could have it. Yes, of course she gave it to her. For years after this, the vase was used to hold open a window in a seldom used bedroom. Yes, you heard me right. It was used as a window stop! Windows in those days were weighted and refused to stay up unless an object was placed on the sill under them. How this vase survived with no damage is a miracle!



In the early 1950's, the family moved to the Detroit, Michigan area to be close to the automobile industry, bringing the vase with them. In the late 1960's Elizabeth had fallen ill and, at that time, doctors made house calls. After her examination, her doctor, who was a good friend of the family, pointed to the corn vase in her bedroom and told her she should look into it...that she may find it was not just any vase. Upon Melbalene and her husband's research of the vase, they could not find one exactly like it; however, in doing so it spurred them on into the antiques business. They opened an antique shop in Lincoln Park, Michigan for a year but opted to save money and run their business from their home and set up at flea markets and antique shows instead.

In the 1990's, they set up at an antique show in Midland, Michigan where they met a dealer, who was visiting from Florida, whom they invited to their home to show him more of their things for sale. This man saw the corn vase and, after he had his "good friend" come to the house to check it out for him, he offered Melbalene $4,500.00. She told him it was not for sale but that she would take his information and let him know if she were to change her mind.

A few months later, she called the man from Florida and told him he could come for the vase. He bought the round trip ticket with a two hour window for his return flight and two days later, before he left, Melbalene called him and said she could not go through with the sale. It had too much sentimental value and he should not come to Detroit after all. The man complained he had spent good money for the plane ticket and that she should reimburse him, which she did after he sent her proof of the ticket's value. From that time on, Melbalene kept the vase in her mother's oak china cabinet and she never thought to sell it again. She and her husband have since passed away and left the vase to her daughter Kay who called me after seeing my examples on Carnival Glass Showcase.




I really loved the vase and there was no question that I would buy it. I said my thank yous and goodbyes and happily headed to the Tampa Bay Carnival Glass Club convention where I told my friend, Gary Lickver, the story of the vase. He told me he knew who the man from Florida was! It was Roy Craver and his friend who checked out the vase all those years ago was Tom Burns, the auctioneer at this convention. Did I tell you Carnival Glass was a small world after all? And Roy Craver was also at the convention to help Tom with his auction and tell me more details about the story of this vase. Roy's recollections were vivid because the vase was very important to him at the time. He was happy to see it, as was Tom Burns, but I'm sure it was a bittersweet moment for both of them.

Now for the measurements of this really robust 7-inch vase. The top measures 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 inches across. The base diameter is 3 3/4 inches. It was made with a 3-part mould and the husks on the side were applied from the bottom and then twisted before having been tacked up against the corn kernels higher up, leaving a space between each husk and the vase.

It has copper and brass highlights, with hints of green, blue and purple iridescence on the husks and between the kernels. The top is not iridized where they pulled it out to make three ruffles. When held to the light, the edges are a violet purple and fades to amethyst towards the center. It is marked on the inside on the bottom with the Northwood "N in a Circle" logo.



Above are the trio of shapes in my collection. The center one is the shape that is was pulled straight from the mould and not considered a whimsey like those to the left and right of it. The one to the left is a rose bowl shape with extended husks.

The Christina Katsikas Collection