Northwood Tree Trunk Green Elephant's Foot Vase
Description
I purchased this green Tree Trunk Elephant's Foot vase from Gary Heavin in 2014. He purchased it from LaNell Roy of Houston, Texas during the 2010 Texas Carnival Glass Club convention.
A vase must be less than 15" tall to qualify as an Elephant's Foot vase with a 5 1/4" base. Any vase 15" or taller with the same base 5 1/4 base diameter is considered to be a Funeral vase. This one stands 13" tall, 8 1/2" wide and has a 5 1/4" base diameter. The wonderful thing about elephant's foot vases is their protruding hobs and nobs. These are usually not as prominent on the taller funeral vases as they become stretched out from having been swung. I just love them.
LaNell's history is admirable. She was an elementary teacher for eleven years. After that, she became the new principal at an elementary school where she replaced the current principal, Mrs. Cecil Whitley. Cecil was to move on to become a principal at a different school. Later, LaNell became the Associate Superintendent of Schools in Houston for fourteen years, overseeing all the principals of all the schools in that area. In that time, LaNell and Cecil & Floyd Whitley became the best of friends and would travel together to many different Carnival glass events.
She owned this vase for several years and we can imagine how many collector friends hinted with offers to buy it but she never thought to part with it. Many of her friends will remember seeing it diplayed in her home where it sat proudly on her mantle. LaNell, along with Floyd & Cecil Whitley, were some of the founding members of the Texas Carnival Glass Club. Click here to see a photo of her, Floyd & Cecil Whitley and Jane Dinkins as shown on the Texas Carnival Glass Club history page, of which I am a member.
LaNell, who was the Carnival glass collector in her family, also loved dolls and hat pins. Her husband, Jerry, was away for long periods of time. He was a professional contract oil drilling superintendent who worked on offshore drilling rigs until 2007. After that, they owned and operated LaRoy Antiques and Refinishing in the Heights. He passed away in September of 2009 after having been married to LaNell for nineteen wonderful years.
After opening each picture, please be sure to click on them one more time for a more life-like experience.
The Christina Katsikas Collection
