Kaleidoscope - 'Nouveauscope' in Stained Glass by Frank and Janet Higgins 

Both the interior and exterior of Nouveauscope are strongly influenced by the Art Deco movement of the early 1900's. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.  

The body of this handcrafted stained glass kaleidoscope is made with a dark blue iridescent glass with a "whiplash" exterior pattern and dichroic glass inserts on each side. The object cell is an offset axle-mounted rotating glass tumblewheel containing lampworked and dichroic elements of arabesque and sinuous shapes in a full color palette.    

The rectangular 4-element/3-mirror system offer an unconventional double chorus-line image, 2 repeats high and unbounded in the horizontal direction with a pale background and black surround above and below.  The interior images are frieze-like, with a strong Art Deco appearance, changing abruptly as the wheel is rotated and the glass elements tumble.  

The scope measures approximately 6-1/2" long by 2-3/4 tall by 1-1/4" wide.

Signed and numbered by the artists - #2/25.