The Chalet Sailboats

It is not surprising that Chalet chose to do a sailboat figurine. After all, the artists grew up on islands in the Venetian Lagoon – surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. Moreover, Cornwall is built on the banks of Canada’s second biggest waterway. The St. Lawrence River has played an essential role in both the economic and cultural development of the nation. I was told by the artists that the Chalet sailboat was made to honour its significance.

Chalet sailboats are typically clear crystal. They were made in 6, 8, and 11-inch heights. The most common markings are the large black Chalet label, the small Chalet “Lead Crystal” label or the N. C. Cameron & Sons Ltd or Riekes Crisa distributors’ stickers. They were not etched.

They are a unicorn for many collectors. Paolo De Marchi, son of Chalet artist Roberto De March, has been able to find a clear crystal and a smaller cranberry. He needs a blue for a trifecta.

On rare instances, they are found in blue and cranberry.

You may find a Chalet cranberry sailboat retaining an original sticker. However, to date, no etched blue sailboats have been discovered. This regatta sails from the  50 Shades member Cindy Bishop Laughlin marina.

Riekes Crisa, Chalet’s major American distributor in the 1970’s, carried them in their catalogs. In clear crystal only.

1976 Riekes Crisa General catalog at left. Later undated on right.

And we know that they were distributed by N. C. Cameron & Sons Ltd. In Canada. In both cranberry and clear crystal.

From the collection of 50 Shades member Nick Mucciante.

Sailboat at left in foreground retains a N. C. Cameron sticker while sailboat at right in foreground retains the Chalet “Lead Crystal” indicia.

The blue sailboats are not of a uniform shade or colour saturation. They have been found with “barely there” colour:

This sailboat was on display at the 2010 Chalet exhibit in Cornwall. Note the larger, clear crystal form directly behind it.

To much deeper tones:

And everything between:

this lovely piece belongs to 50 Shades member Stephen Malcolmson.

Variation is not limited to colour and saturation as the “sail” and centre “mast” details” show differences as well.

Typically, there are 2 pronounced “sails” flanking a, more or les, up and down centre mast.

However, an occasional boat is found with less pronounced separations.

Note the differences. This is not a sign of fakery but of variation. From the collection of 50 Shades member and collector Pina Pina.

Proof of variation:

The boat retaining its N. C. Cameron sticker (left foreground) has much less pronounced sail/mast detail than the others shown here.

Lorraine Glass Industries and EDAG did not have a sailboat form. Artistic Lighting and Rossi Artistic Glass did. Clear crystal sailboats were also done in Saint Zotique, Quebec but, at present, none have been found that can be attributed to Angelo Tedesco’s last glasshouse.

 In clear crystal and cranberry. No blue sailboats by Rossi have been found.

1988 Rossi Artistic Glass catalog page. Courtesy of Cornwall Community Museum.