Keith Glein
This is a very rare Doughnut Jumbo Roller. Jumbo rollers made from this mold style are very hard to find.
There are some amber swirls in the non-seal end that gives this jumbo roller a bit of a two-tone look.
It measures about 20 inches in length and about 8 inches across the middle of the barrel.
I purchased this jumbo roller in Japan in April of 2023.
This is a very unusual float. First, the color is really striking. It's a dark purple or deep violet color. If you backlight this float, you can see lots of purple swirls throughout the float.
The seal on it is extra large, especially for this size float.
Even the size is an unusual measuring 26 1/4 inches in circumference or about 8 1/2 inches in diameter.
When I was offered this float I didn't know what to think. I thought there was a good chance it was a reproduction but I bought it anyway since it came out of a collection with many amazing floats. A couple days later the same seller showed me two identical floats but they were both netted. There was a fitting on each of the nets with Japanese writing on it. That convinced me that my float was an authentic Japanese glass float, too.
This float came out of an impressive collection from Augusta, Georgia sold in the spring 2023.
Mark WP #285 'Matsu 松 Under a Roof' was much harder to find than I thought it would be for a mark that's classified as uncommon but I finally got one from another collector.
This float itself has lots of character with tons of bubbles and swirling texture on the surface of the glass.
It measures about 4 3/4 inches in diameter.
This light green trimold float has a really nice Green Seal. The seal itself seems to be a little different than the traditional flattened seal that you typically see on a trimold. No chips.
The float is mostly frosted and is unmarked.
It measures 3 1/4 inches in diameter.
I got this trimold from seller based out of Soldotna, Alaska.
This trimold float has a mostly Amber Green Seal. Seal is in great conditions with no chips.
The float is unmarked and measures about 3 1/4 inches in diameter.
Float came from a seller out of Soldotna, Alaska.
A really beautiful Ro Purser float with dark purple swirls.
This float has mark WP #195 'Ropasa' stamped on the seal. It's a perfect stamp showing all points of the mark.
The float measures 14 1/4 inches or about 5 inches in diameter.
Excellent provenance having been purchased from a well-regarded collection out of Augusta, Georgia in April of 2023.
Exceptional stamp of mark WP #29 'Made In Japan'. This particular stamp is a smaller than the rest that I've seen.
It measures 4 inches in diameter.
This float came out of an impressive collection from Georgia that I purchased many floats in the Spring of 2023.
Here's Ro Purser float that's a unique turquoise / light blue color.
This float has the classic mark WP #195 'Ropasa' stamped on the seal. It's an excellent stamp showing all points.
Ro Purser floats were known for their very high-quality construction, since they were made to be fished at great depths.
This float measures 14 1/2 in circumference or nearly 5 inches in diameter.
This was one of the floats that came out of an impressive collection from Georgia that I purchased in the Spring of 2023.
Ro Purser discussing this float (2/26/24):
"That color comes from copper carbonate. I would intentionally not mix it well into the glass but in loose layers/clumps so it would do the swirl thing like that. It took about 1/2 of a cup of the carbonate (consistency of flour) for about 60 lbs. of the recycled sheet glass I used. I loved that color. It was big in the handblown glass scene on the coast in the early 1800’s."
"Variations of it fall into the color known as (fittingly enough) Aquamarine. Early 1700’s 1800’s it was used a lot. Google “early south Jersey hand blown aquamarine glass” and you’ll see some beautiful glass in the ‘close to this’ color. This one is this a nice clear color because my base glass for the floats was excess clear glass from a glass company in Eureka. Perfect for the job because it’s formulated to be clear and really tough. The Jersey glass probably didn’t have my nice colorant I did and there was more iron in their sand which adds the greener tint.
Very nice Sun-Turned Torpedo float.
Excellent condition. It has just 2-3 small chips of the seal that you expect to see on older working floats. Plus it has a nice sheen from some light frosting.
This float measures about 5 3/4 inches long.
Good provenance having come from a well-regarded collection out of Augusta, Georgia in April of 2023.
Kanji Roller WP #159-B is a 'holy grail' float.
Up until about 2010 there's was only 1 known example in collections. The first one of these kanji rollers with the WP #159-B mark was a light blue color. I've heard rumors that this float sold in a private deal many years ago for $8,500. I'm not sure where it is now.
More recently a second WP #159-B appeared in photos. This No. 2 float was a distinctive light green tinted color. Just by color there was no doubt that it was a different float than the first one.
In April of 2023, I was shown a photo of this WP #159-B float and about drop dead. At first, I knew it was one of the rare kanji rollers; definite not a 'Miyako' kanji roller. In a knee jerk reaction, I immediately purchased it. Only after the deal was finalized did I realize that it was the rarest of the rare kanji rollers. It was a WP #159-B.
So how many WP #159-B's are there? In my mind, there are probably three of them. But the photos of the light green No. 2 aren't clear enough to show seed bubble to definitely prove there are three of them. In-other-words, my third float could conceivably be the light green No. 2 mystery float.
So, what does the kanji on the roller say? Since the Japanese language is not my strong suit, I'll leave that determination to others. I do know that there certainly is controversy in the translation, even between experts.
This kanji roller measure about 6 3/4 inches.
It was purchased out of a large collection with many valuable floats out of Augusta, Georgia in 2023.
This float with mark WP #378 'Ne' 根 is distinctive and rare.
First, the stamp is the type that has been deeply pressed into the glass on the edge of the seal button. The stamp is about 1 inch wide.
The mark appears to be the Japanese symbol 'Ne' 根. It translates to mean "root, source, or origin". It could also be used as a surrogate for a family name, such as Nemuro, for example.
Second, it is very rare. Two floats with this mark were found and photographed by Walt Pich in Japan in the late 1990's or early 2000's. Both were 14 inch floats. Walt left these floats Japan hoping to bring one back on later trip but they disappeared before Walt could retrieve one.
This float measures 44 1/2 inches in circumference or about 14 inches in diameter.
I purchased this float in Japan in April of 2023. As far as I know, this is the only example of mark WP #378 back here in the States.
Ro Purser made some pretty beautiful floats. This float with Dark Purple Swirls is no exception.
The seal is stamped with Ro's standard signature mark WP #195 'Ropasa'. Ropasa as a funny play on the maker's name Ro Purser.
This two piece mold construction is very strudy and can withstand being submerged to great depths. The float measures 14 1/2 inches in circumference or about 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
This was one float out of an impressive collection from Georgia that I purchased in the Spring of 2023.