Frog of the Day

Daum Crystal Tree Frogs
Originally uploaded by KenCalvino

I don't remember how many years ago it was that I went to Nashville with my mom and grandmother, but we went to see The Grand Ole Opry, It was quite exciting since we used to watch it on television and here we were seeing it in person. We had seats that were right up front - stage right. And it was right in that area where the emcee for the night came out in his rhinestone studded outfit. Porter Wagner opened the right side of his jacket and the rhinestones there spelled out Porter. He then opened the left side which spelled out Wagner. The man loved the stage, the audience, and the music. He made the evening a lot of fun. It was sad to hear that he passed away yesterday. The radio said that he was one of the last from that era of country music. He had released a brand new cd earlier this year which was critically acclaimed.

This frog collectible is a true gem. These frogs are from the French glass artisans at Daum and they are Crystal Tree Frogs. These frogs are made from pate de verre - an ancient technique that dates to the ancient Egyptians and was rediscovered about a hundred years ago. The artist takes very finely powdered glass, called frit, and mixes it with a watered glue mixture and carefully packs it into a mold. The mold is then kiln fired and depending on the piece, it can take days or weeks before it can be removed from the kiln and mold. The frit makes a very translucent piece that is cleaned buffed and sealed to make it shine. The French artists are considered the best in the world at this technique. These frogs sell for $250.00 a piece. The colors are Turquoise, Lilac, and Green. You can order these frogs over at Horchow.