The Chalet “Piccoli”: Celebrating the “Happy Little Things” in Life
Life does not always have to be big, bold and dramatic. In fact, this is not always what’s best for either your physical or mental condition. It has been proven in countless studies and testing that celebrating the simple things in life can significantly improve your overall well-being. There are a multitude of benefits: reduced stress, increased gratitude, boosted happiness, strengthened relationships and connections, enhanced mindfulness, a greater sense of contentment, improved physical and mental health, a more positive outlook and a greater appreciation for life itself.
It is somewhat ironic than that there is no international day of recognition to celebrate the little things. But maybe that is fitting as it is something that we could and should do every day – not just once a year. So, some little things to celebrate – literally embrace all those “stop and smell the roses” cliches. A really great cup of coffee in the morning, a beautiful sunrise or sunset, the smell and noise of the surf, sand between your toes on a beach, your favourite song, the best book ever, an invigorating shower, freshly baked cookies, how you feel in the moment you finish that workout you didn’t want to do, fresh, clean crisp sheets ... And of course, if you are a Chalet collector – also enjoying your Chalet “piccoli.”
Piccolo: Italian for small one. Plural – piccoli.
During a November 2010 interview for the “Shapes & Colours of Chalet Art Glass” with Chalet Maestri Bruno Panizzon and Giulio Gatto and Chalet artist Gianfranco Guarnieri, they told me that the Chalet piccolo or the small ones were also called “pretty little dust collectors” or “the extras” by the glass blowers. These are the “little brothers and sisters” of the larger production pieces. They were done at the end of the day to use up remaining day-end colour and glass. The Chalet piccoli are the most common examples of Chalet non-production pieces. It is important to note that these were not made as either salesmen or artists’ samples but were created to avoid waste.
The artists also told me during this interview that many piccoli pieces were not signed as they were often taken home by staff who referred to those as “under the coat” pieces as they were frequently taken without permission. Certainly, these particular pieces would never have been marked for obvious reasons. It is somewhat surprising that, given their popularity, they were not introduced into the Chalet production line. However, Lorraine Glass Industries did have a production line of “minis” – Assortment 400. More details will follow regarding these Lorraine forms. Minis from all the glasshouses remain extremely popular with today’s collectors.
You will find Chalet little ones that mimic the shape of larger production pieces – vases, centerpieces and stretches while other shapes are unique to their smaller size. A Chalet “mini-me” or unique shape is significantly smaller than typical Chalet production sizes. Minis are not those pieces which show just typical variation. Many collectors who are not aware of the varying production heights think they have found a mini when it is just the smallest production height of that form.
The best most often seen example of this is the B 2 “hook and curls” centerpiece. The smallest production size of this form was 7” so a piece must deviate and be smaller at in height least an inch and have a much smaller diameter.
My olive-green piece is 7” in height and with a 6” diameter - so, the smallest size of this production form. However, my clear crystal piece stands just under 6” with a diameter of only 5 inches - the mini of this form.
When I found this small centerpiece, I did not have a measuring tape with me . I was convinced I had found a uranium mini but alas - upon measuring it at home, it turned out to be 7” so just the smallest production size. It is still adorable though.
A second great example of the smallest production form with its “little sister.” This time - the Chalet fazzoletto vase.
The olive vase measures 7” at its lowest point - the smallest production height (inventory #12103) of this form. The cranberry measures only 5 1/2” at lowest fold. A mini. And a really good illustration of how the piccoli were made to use up materials - especially expensive colour..
Another example of a form of which its smallest production size also looks like a mini is is the Chalet “cross arm” centerpiece – inventory # B 4. The production lengths for Chalet B 4 are listed at 9 (B 4XS) and 11 (B 4SS) inches.
This 9” size looks like it could and should be a mini! However, it is not. A true B 4 mini, once again in clear crystal, will be shown below.
9” in length and 7 ½ “ in height. Etched “Chalet Canada”. Photo Deborah Patterson.
These from the collection of 50 Shades member Ella Hanks:
The solid coloured B 4 in the foreground is 8 ¾” in length and stands just under 8 inches. The larger B 4 at rear is 12 ½ long and 10 ½ tall.
The smallest production size of the “trillium throat” vase is # 14111 (produced in cranberry and clear crystal) and is 8” and this height also looks like it is a Chalet piccolo. Shown here on right.
Photo credit Bradley Atkinson.
Typically, piccoli were not given either a Chalet inventory sticker or branded. However, there are quite a few exceptions to this with regard to pieces bearing brandings as they have been found both etched and stickered. Mini forms have both flat base and pedestal bases depending on the style. Minis are typically found in solid colours. However, a few 2-tones and others in clear crystal have also been discovered. The clear crystal minis are the smallest of the piccoli.
To date, 5 different iconic Chalet styles have been found in non-production as clear crystal piccoli:
Top left centerpiece from the collection of Cindy Bishop-Laughlin. Other pieces from the collection of Deborah Patterson.
Chalet DID NOT make a mini basket form in either a “ribbon” or in clear crystal. The ones that are now so frequently found in flea markets, antique stores, and seen online are indeed vintage but from Chinese makers – Crystal Brand or Toscany. They are typically between 9 and 10 inches in height. Crystal Brand made other forms that are also misidentified as Chalet “ribbons.”
Photographs courtesy of Joy Rains.
A Chalet bonboniere piece is not a mini. Bonboniere are forms in and of themselves and created for a specific purposes which their size serves as whimsical party favours or small teal light candleholders. Minis are generally from the hand-blown lines but here is an exception, a basket from Chalet’s hand-molded “End of Day” line.
The piccolo basket on right is only 8 inches tall. Shown with its 10” big sister. Presently, it is the only example of a Chalet hand-molded mini of which I am aware.
The 2-tone minis that we have found:
A unique shape in one of Chalet’s rarer 2-tone colour combinations.
The 2-tone piccoli basket BB 1 at right is exceedingly rare.
The inventory listing sheet has its smallest production height at 14”XS. More typical are 16” and 18” in this style – it is a large piece. This little basket is only 11 inches.
From the collection of 50 Shades member Christine Mantler-Spain.
A little B 1 to celebrate! Photograph courtesy of Ray Neville.
And piccoli in some rarer and unique colours:
A lovely cranberry from the collection of Janet Godfrey. A most charming way to use up “extra.”
A piccolo 8-inch B 37.
A gorgeous Chalet “plum”:
I love this picture. A mini version of the iconic Chalet crystal twist vase. This inventory sheet listing for this vase, # V 32, shows its shortest height as 10” with the letters “SS.” This piccolo is 8”. It is shown here with the tallest, to date, crystal twist of which we know – the piece that got me started collecting seriously. It is a massive piece – 17” and 17 pounds.
This “champagne” colour is frequently seen in Chalet minis. It is not a colour seen in larger production forms:
A grouping in this colour from the collection of Jo Highland.
Contributors: Sabina Brunetti top left, Cindy Bishop-Laughlin top right, Amy J bottom left and Dwain Robertson bottom right.
Some shapes unique to the Chalet piccoli:
The “wide-open arms” basket:
This colour rimmed little stunner from the collection of Bob Burgess. A happy little thing to appreciate for sure!
A variation of V 34:
This 12 1/2” vase may seem to be too tall to qualify as a Chalet piccolo, especially given I used an 8-inch example as one not being a mini above. However, it is the deviation from the production norm which is the overriding factor which determines this. The production heights for this style of “crystal swirl” vase are listed at 15 and 22 inches so you see the difference here is quite pronounced. The olive vase on the right stands 20 inches. The little mini has a style variation in the shape of its throat as well. Both vases from the collection of Ella Hanks.
This vase shape is a frequently found Chalet mini. They most typically are 10 inches in height. It has been found in blue tones, ambers and champagne.
This pale blue tone is quite common in Chalet little things.
From the collection of the Cornwall Community Museum:
The “mini-me” Chalet piccoli. Little one versions that mimic larger production piece:
Animals:
To date, all the Chalet songbird figurines found have been the single-tail style.
A few more:
Top left pair nest with Cindy Bishop-Laughlin and bottom left pair from the collection of Jo Highland.
A Chalet mama cat and kitten:
Large figurine is 8” high at tip of tail. Mini stands 5” high at same point. From the collection of Melissa Patterson.
A very rare, intriguing, and surprising, “mini me” animal figurine:
To date, the only avventurina piccolo of which I am aware. The middle polar bear stands only 4” at tip of nose as compared to the 6 1/2 “ of the larger figurines and body length just reaches 3 inches while the other 2 figurines have body lengths of over 4 inches. A charming difference! It is etched ‘Chalet Canada.” Polar bears from the collection of Deborah Patterson.
Ashtray and cigar bowl examples:
In middle, mini form of A 8 – just under 3 ½” inches with a much smaller diameter of 6”than the larger. This is exceedingly rare. The production ashtray at left is 4 ½” with a diameter of almost 9 inches and the piece to the right of the mini is 5” with a diameter of 9 inches. Photo courtesy of collector Ray Neville.
Another example of this production piece in its “mini me” form. This rare little gem from the collection of Dan Lof.
This piccolo cigar bowl is also an exceedingly rare piece:
Top of “finger” is just shy of 5 inches in this “mini me” version of the Chalet A 5. The production piece at left is just a hair over 7 inches. Its body mass also much smaller.
A more familiar version of a Chalet basket. The Chalet BB 2 distilled down to piccolo size of 9 to 10 inches:
This basket is 9” high with a base diameter of 2” which broadens to 6”. Comparing this basket to the ones of the same style directly above, you can see variation in shape is typical even in the Chalet mini forms. Photographs courtesy of Merit Kathan.
Long-arm stretch centerpieces are frequently seen Chalet piccoli. They range from 11 inches up to 14 inches. The smallest B 1 production size is listed at 15” XS on the inventory sheet on which it is featured.
The smallest:
This B 1 piece is 11 inches in length, 6 inches in height and with 4-inch diameter at its widest point.
Slightly larger at 13 inches:
The olive “long arm” B1 in the background is 18 inches.
Yet a little bit larger at 14.”
I do not have the length dimensions for this piece. However, it is just under 6 inches high. I have 2 of this style and they reach 8” tall. This piece also a very unusual colour.
This cranberry B 37 is slightly smaller than the cranberry one shown above. Standing only 7 ½” tall and with a diameter of 7 ½”. It bears a very off-register etched “Chalet Canada” signature. This was on a bottom shelf of a very crowded stall in a flea-market and so dusty that I walked past it but I must have subconsciously registered something because I turned back and voila! It pays to listen to those “niggles.” The production size at left is 10 ½” in height and 12 ½” in diameter.
A true B 4 “cross arm” centerpiece piccolo:
Again, the mini clear crystal is the only mini of this style:
6-inches tall and 6-inches in length. An exquisite little thing with which collector Cindy Bishop Laughlin is quite happy!
This “finger curl” style was shown above in champagne but is seen in other colours as well:
Photos of the minis at left are from Deborah Patterson (top left) and Paul Winsor (bottom left). The production size piece on right is from the collection of Pina Pina.
Chalet form # 180 in both mini and production versions:
Mini on left is from the collection of Karen Ulsifer-Keller and is 8 ¼ “ by 2 ½” and 5 inches in height. The piece at right is 15” in length and 6 inches tall. Sabrina Brunetti photo credit.
This mini is seen quite frequently in other colours as well. Here are two in blues and this style in champagne was shown earlier in the grouping of this colour from Jo Highland’s collection.
This little mini is 8 inches long and 5 inches high.
Bob’s “wide-open” arms basket has a partner - just as lovely.
B 2 mini “spike and curls” are not often found. And to date, they have all been in clear crystal.
This clear crystal mini stands just under 6” with a diameter of just under 5” while its production big brothers stand 7” (the olive) with a diameter of 5”(olive) and the larger red is 12” tall and 13 ½” across.
The Chalet mini “swan” centerpieces are probably the most familiar of the Chalet piccoli forms. They are quite consistent in size with a range of just under 9” to just under 10”. They come in a wide range of colours.
Photo credits – Deborah Patterson top left, Bradley Atkinson middle, Dwain Robertson top right, Cathy Antonyshyn bottom left and Deborah Patterson bottom right..
A “huge” surprise – a Chalet “crystal twist” lamp!
The mini lamp is 8 ½” in height and the large is 15”. From the collection of Kim Tremblay.
To date, only clear crystal “fingertip vase” piccoli have been seen. Very rare. This mini vase stands 7” tall.
The olive V 29 is 12” and the sapphire blue is 16”. Which is a variation from the tallest listing which is 14” on the Chalet production/inventory sheet. From the collection of Deborah Patterson.
Once more, the smallest size of a mini “crystal twist” is the 6-inch clear crystal of which a few have been found.
I am lucky to have one in my collection!
The coloured “crystal twist’ minis typically are between 7 and 8 inches in height.
A gorgeous layering in shades of orange. 7 ½ inches in height.
Photo credit Liz Albano.
This 8-inch blue crystal twist from the collection of Pina Pina. Crystal twist minis of this size are also found in amber.
A second 8-inch purple but note the variation in both shape and colour from the plum shown above earlier and again directly below.
Both vases are 8” in height.
While it is fairly common to find signed “Chalet Canada” minis, it is much less so to find a company stickered piece or one that retains a distributors label. However, we have found a few of each.
The little clear crystal “long arm” stretch centerpiece shown earlier also retains the same N. C. Cameron label as seen on the “spike and curls” mini on left. As this Canadian distributor for Chalet specialized in smaller scale giftware, perhaps these extra small clear crystal pieces were made with this mind? Chalet company sticker from the champagne coloured “V” vase (immediately following) in Ella Hank’s collection and the etched “Chalet Canada” signature is on the base of her small B 4 centerpiece. To date, these are the only brandings that I have on file for any of the Chalet minis.
And it is pretty much unheard of to find one with a Chalet inventory sticker as these were not production pieces. However, as usual the “2 Rules of Chalet” apply – “Never say Never” and “the only consistent thing about Chalet was its inconsistency.”
This vase is not only etched “Chalet Canada” but also retains the small gold “Hand made by Chalet in Canada” sticker. Most unusually, it bears a Chalet inventory label. However, the Chalet inventory designation is for an ashtray. To date, this is the only mini of which I know that has this anomaly. From the collection of Ella Hanks.
Some examples of minis from the glasshouses of EDAG, Lorraine Glass Industries and Mosaic Artistic Glass:
A few of the commonly found from EDAG:
Mini basket at bottom left from the collection of Jack Sibbers. Photos credit for blue basket bottom right – Bruce Budden.
Photo credit – Sabrina Brunetti.
From the collection of Iam Marc Linder.
Mini “stretches” at left from the collection of Gionny Gueli. Top left - Deborah Patterson. At bottom right – Cathy Antonyshyn photo credit.
These 2 little mini EDAG bird centerpieces from the collection of Genevive Benham.
Now some from Lorraine Glass Industries which showed a dedicated mini line, Assortment 4000, in their last catalogue. I am unsure if this was a new line for Lorraine as we have no catalogues in between the first to last and the first does not show a line of minis.
Not all styles of Lorraine minis on featured on this page. These are the most commonly found. Piccoli versions of their larger production size brethren.
The “hook and curls” centerpiece mini with its production size big brother. Seen at top left of catalogue page. From the collection of Cathy Young.
Mini “iris” vases from Cindy Bishop-Laughlin’s garden. This form shown on the page to the immediate right of the “hook and curls” centerpiece.
The “iris” mini is occasionally found in this 2-tone.
This mini “stretch” is the next form over from the “iris” vase. Photo contributed by Deborah Patterson.
This style of Lorraine mini basket is featured at the outside right of the top row.
Bottom row left:
Bottom row right.
They have often been found with the black and gold generic “Made in Canada” country-of-origin label that is indicative of a Lorraine piece intended for export.
Photograph courtesy of Bruce Budden.
They are found in colours other than those typical of the common Lorraine palette:
From the collection of Jeremiah Shaver.
An example of a Lorraine mini that is not featured on the catalogue page Assortment 4000:
This was an exquisite little piece – the nicest Lorraine mini I have seen. The picture does not come near doing it justice. This style has also been found in honey gold
I have a Mosaic Artistic Glass made mini in my collection. I found it in Florida at a roadside flea-market which was very bizarre. In deep root-beer amber, he stands just 7 inches tall. I am not aware of any other Mosaic minis at present.
Now it’s time to celebrate the Chalet “happy little things in life.” The colour, shine and sparkle of the glass never fails to lift my spirits. Afterwards, take another few moments to enjoy and celebrate another little thing in your life! For inspiration:
Photograph courtesy of Bob Burgess.
