These blown-glass mantel decorations are comprised of stands, similar in form to candlesticks, that serve as supports for the ornamental balls. Mantel ornaments were generally not offered in the production lines of most glass manufactories, but instead afforded the individual glassblower an outlet for experimenting with lively color combinations and innovative forms. Whimsical glass objects such as these, perhaps used as a decoration for a glassmaker's home or as a gift for a friend, are difficult to date, as their production remained a popular pastime for craftsmen throughout the nineteenth century. These examples, one of the rare pairs to have survived, illustrate the high skills of the bottle glassblower, exhibiting a charming sophistication in form, color selection, and dimension. Miriam E. Mucha, from Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections (1995), p. 273.