Objet d'art: Gazing Ball

Photo: steverts (istockphoto)

A gazing ball, also known as a garden globe, yard globe, lawn ball, garden ball, gazing globe, mirror ball, chrome ball, or orb, is a mirrored sphere typically displayed atop a conical ceramic or wrought iron stand as a lawn ornament. Sizes ranges from 1 inch up to 33 feet in diameter, with the most popular gazing ball being 12 inches. Gazing balls were glass but can now be stainless steel, acrylic, ceramic, or stained glass.

Unlike hanging friendship balls or witch balls that have a loop, gazing balls come in a variety, with some having a stem so they can securely sit in a stand, while others are more uniform in shape and can sit on grass.

Gazing balls originated in 13th century Venice, Italy, where they were hand-blown by skilled craftsmen, and enjoyed a brief resurgence in popularity in the 1930s. They appear in a number of modernistic gardens of the period as a variation on the traditional sundial or birdbath centre piece. Many of them from this period may have been made in polished metal rather than glass.

Many people in the 1950s and afterwards viewed them as a bit tacky; an example of prosaic suburban taste of the interwar period on a level with garden gnomes—they have never quite regained status, but are making a comeback in many gardens today.

Source: Wikipedia