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ID #SA863905
FOR SALE
£235
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Victorian Potichomania Glass Witch Ball
For sale by Shaun King Antiques
for sale €275     $298
£235
Shaun King Antiques

Shaun King Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Feb 2013
Browse dealers 354 items
  • About Us
    Third generation antiques dealer selling a wide range of large and small antiques pre 1920.
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Id #SA863905
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Victorian Potichomania Glass Witch Ball

19th century
Description

Popular during the 17th and 18th Centuries for warding-off witches and evil spirits, this particular ANTIQUE POTICHOMANIA GLASS WITCH BALL dates from the Victorian era c1860.

It is decorated on the inside of the glass. There are some patches of wear to the decoration which can be seen in the photographs.

The WITCH BALL is hung from, what appears to be, its original cord.

Diameter approximately 4.5 inches (11.5 cm)

Delivery within Mainland UK is included. We are happy to quote for Overseas Shipping on request.

Date of Manufacture

Shaun King Antiques has dated this Victorian Potichomania Witch Ball to the 1860s.

Independent Date Guide ID 07047335
Dealer's Item Date1860s
Sellingantiques Date1860s
Sellingantiques agingItem 135-180 years old
ResultsDates match
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 1860s:
Internal painted ground shows drying and separation from the glass: natural ageing.
Fitted cork stopper in the blown aperture: original closure for hanging.
Aged twisted natural fibre cord: old suspension method.
Multi-coloured stippled interior decoration: decorative craft technique popularised alongside potichomania.

This Independent Date Guide was compiled by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. It works only from the photographs shown on this page and is never told the date the dealer has declared. It is a guide, not a guarantee of age, and occasional errors can occur.

Physical Dimensions
Height
11.5cm (4.53")
Width
11.5cm (4.53")
Depth
11.5cm (4.53")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA863905
Dealers Notes

We are a family business of three generations going back to the 1920s. Customer satisfaction is what we strive for.

Payment can be made by Bank Transfer or by the PayPal button, either as a member or a guest, using any major credit or debit card.

Please contact for Inland and Overseas Shipping costs unless otherwise stated on the individual item description.

Description
Popular during the 17th and 18th Centuries for warding-off witches and evil spirits, this particular ANTIQUE POTICHOMANIA GLASS WITCH BALL dates from the Victorian era c1860.

It is decorated on the inside of the glass. There are some patches of wear to the decoration which can be seen in the photographs.

fig 1. A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow.
fig 1. Victorian Potichomania Glass Witch Ball

The WITCH BALL is hung from, what appears to be, its original cord.

Diameter approximately 4.5 inches (11.5 cm)

Delivery within Mainland UK is included. We are happy to quote for Overseas Shipping on request.

Date of Manufacture

Shaun King Antiques has dated this Victorian Potichomania Witch Ball to the 1860s.

Independent Date Report ID 07047335
Dealer's Item Date1860s
Sellingantiques dating1860s
Sellingantiques agingItem 135-180 years old
ResultsDates match
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 1860s:
Internal painted ground shows drying and separation from the glass: natural ageing.
Fitted cork stopper in the blown aperture: original closure for hanging.
Aged twisted natural fibre cord: old suspension method.
Multi-coloured stippled interior decoration: decorative craft technique popularised alongside potichomania.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
11.5cm (4.53")
Width
11.5cm (4.53")
Depth
11.5cm (4.53")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA863905
Shaun King Antiques
Shaun King Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Feb 2013

Third generation antiques dealer selling a wide range of large and small antiques pre 1920.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Shaun King Antiques Profile Page

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A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow.
1 / 4
Archive I A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow.

Victorian Potichomania Glass Witch Ball

Archive II A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow. View II
Archive III A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow. View III
Archive IV A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow. View IV
Enlarged Archival View
Shaun King Antiques

Shaun King Antiques
Telephone 01953 453 285 or 07702 043910
Location
Attleborough
Norfolk
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/shaunkingantiques
Verified Since Feb 2013
Items For Sale 354
Items Sold 1,408
Shaun King Antiques
Shaun King Antiques
Verified Since Feb 2013
View Dealer Info
Location: Attleborough , Norfolk, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/shaunkingantiques
Verified
Feb 2013
For Sale
354
Sold
1,408
A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow.
VICTORIAN POTICHOMANIA GLASS WITCH BALL
Ref: SA863905
A spherical Victorian potichomania glass witch ball featuring a white base with multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectWitch Balls
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian
  • MaterialGlass, Paint
  • ColourMulticoloured
  • MotifsSpeckled finish, Spherical form, Interior polychrome painting
  • SizeH 11.5 cm (5 in) x W 11.5 cm (5 in) x D 11.5 cm (5 in)

This Victorian potichomania glass witch ball dates from 1860, following a tradition popular in earlier centuries for warding off witches and evil spirits. The spherical form consists of glass decorated on the inside with interior polychrome painting over a white base, displaying multicoloured speckled patterns of orange, blue, and yellow. Patches of wear affect the internal decoration, and the object is suspended from its original cord. The piece measures 11.5 cm high, 11.5 cm wide, and 11.5 cm deep. In a home today, this witch ball suits placement in a bay window to catch the light, echoing historical domestic superstitions and Victorian interior design preferences. The combination of glass materials and painted motifs offers a decorative accent suited to period settings, displayed as a hanging decorative object.

FAQs

Witch balls originated in 18th-century England and gained popularity during the Victorian era. Suspended in windows, these hollow glass spheres were belief-based talismans intended to ward off evil spirits, bad fortune, and illness.

Potichomania involved decorating the interior of a clear hand-blown glass object using applied pigments, paints, or paper cutouts. This technique created an opaque, patterned finish protected inside the glass wall, mimicking ceramic or porcelain glazes.

Authentic 19th-century examples display evidence of hand-blowing, such as subtle asymmetric shapes, pontil marks near the suspension neck, and natural wear around the hanging fitting. Potichomania examples show age-consistent interior paint craquelure or pigment settled inside the glass.

A Victorian glass witch ball can be hung near a window or light source to catch natural illumination. It serves as a focal accent on a mantlepiece hook, within a glass display cabinet, or amongst a curation of historical glass objects.

Dust the exterior surface gently with a dry microfibre cloth. Avoid immersing the item in water or using liquid chemical cleaners, as moisture entering the neck aperture can degrade interior potichomania paint and paper work.
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