Spheres of Light

I saw my first Victorian gazing ball in 1976. They were popular in Indiana, especially in the area around South Bend. I didn’t know the proper name for them; I just called them shiny balls, and I would refer to the area we drove from Warsaw to South Bend as the “hotbed of shiny balls” since that is where we saw them in greater numbers. 

It appears that they were invented in Venice, Italy, in the 13th century. In the 16th century a priest referred to them as spheres of light, a rather charming appellation I think. They became popular in England and the United States in the Victorian era, thus the descriptive adjective. For awhile, they were called butler balls or globes as wealthy households positioned them near the dining room entrance so that the wait staff could unobtrusively notice if the diners needed attention or were ready for the next course. There is other lore associated with these glass globes. 

Apparently, well-made gazing balls had the color applied in the inside and the ball was sealed to keep out moisture. Alas, the budget balls are not so-well made. Every time we visited Indiana to see family, my husband would suggest that we buy one and take it back to Texas, but I saw them as a special Hoosier feature so declined. However, when we returned to live in Indiana I at last had my very own gazing ball. Much to my dismay, about the middle of the summer I stepped out front and found my ball shattered; well, really it had two large pieces that had broken off. At first, I thought maybe a neighborhood kid had busted it on purpose, but we lived in a friendly pleasant subdivision where we knew most of the neighbors; it was hard to believe any of them had done that. We finally decided that because the ball was not sealed but had a protuberance or neck to fit into the stand, that moisture had collected and the ball heated up in the hot summer temperatures and burst apart on its own.

 

I now have a stainless steell ball with a green coating. It is pretty much shatter proof. Indeed, on a very windy day it blew off and other than an almost imperceptible dent, it was fine. I identify with my fellow Hoosiers and always feel a home with a shiny ball is a friendlier and prettier  (but butlerless) place.