Rodefer Piano Legs

Mar 14, 2022 | Museum Monday Treasures

Today’s Museum Monday treasures from the collection of the Museum of American Glass in WV are a couple of “unknown objects.” That’s right. We think we know what these are, but we’re not entirely sure. They were acquired in the Rodefer Glass Company auction after that company closed. Although they were in operation for over 100 years in Bellaire, Ohio, Rodefer remains one of the least known major manufacturers of glass. That’s because virtually of their production was private mould work.

We do, however, have a substantial collection of archival material from Rodefer. Included in these files are catalog pages, with an accompanying letter dated May 6, 1938, that lead us to believe that these are furniture or piano legs. At 4 ¼” high and 2” square, they are substantial enough to bear the weight of a fairly large piece of furniture. Does anyone know anything else about these or have you ever seen them in use?

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