Pairpoint Cup Plate - Maui

This beautiful coaster size 3.5 inch crystal Pairpoint Glass cup plate features the whaling ship Balaena off the coast of Maui at Lahaina. The plate commemorates the pivotal year in Hawaiian history, 1819, when King Kamehameha the Great died, and the Balaena visited Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. The whaling ship Balaena was out of New Bedford, MA and the first American whaler to visit Lahaina. Pairpoint cup plate 163 began pressing in 1982. The Lahaina was designed by George Avila and commissioned by The Lahaina Restoration Foundation. Cup plates are small coaster size decorative glass art glass collectibles. Pairpoint cup plates are a unique work of art. Cup plates were signed with the Pairpoint trademark and the initials/monogram of the engraver. Using traditional freehand methods, the engraver worked directly in steel using a hammer and chisel. Using an antique press that made early cup plates, the vintage plates were hand pressed in 34% lead crystal. The plate is in excellent condition with no chips or cracks, but contains some bubbles, inclusions and some of the irregularities that are found in pressed glass. This piece glows under black light.