German Target Balls

Several photos of rare French and German balls are courtesy of glass expert Horst Klusmeier of Germany.

German Target Ball 001 German Target Ball 003 German Target Ball 004
1. Amber, embossed on center band, "Sophienhutte In Ilmenau (Thur)". 2. Marked "SOPHIENHUTTE IN ILMENAU (Thur)" on the center band. "Sophienhutte" means a site where glass was made (actually it's a "hut" or structure named after a woman: Sophia); "In Ilmenau" means in the town of Ilmenau; "Thur" is for Thuringen, a district famous for glass, porcelain and gun making. 3. Yellow olive, embossed on center band, "Charlottenburg Glashutten, Dr. A. Frank", yellow olive. A. Frank was the glasshouse director.
German Target Ball 005 German Target Ball 002 German Target Ball 006
4. Clear glass, embossed on center band, "Charlottenburg Glashutten F.W. Otte Jun". 5. Yellow olive, embossed on center band: "Charlottenburg Glashutten F.W. Otte Jun". Politics has played a role in the growth of foreign target balls: After the Berlin wall fell, several "new" balls were uncovered in East Germany. Two clears were sold in a Glass Works Auction sale, where they were touted as "recently found in a flea market in what was East Germany. Charlottenburg is a suburb of Berlin." 6. Yellow olive, embossed on center band, "Charlottenburg Glashutten".
German Target Ball 007 German Target Ball 009 German Target Ball 008
7. Marked "GLASF ANDREASHUTTE GRAFL ZU SOLMS", This is one of a handful of balls with a long neck. The ball also comes in aqua and clear. 8. Collectors do not know why this small grouping of balls comes with such a long neck. 9. This ball, likely German, comes in several colors.
German Target Ball 010 German Target Ball 011  
10. A minor mystery: A few years ago, a batch of these amber balls were found, and almost all had a V-shape chip in the neck. 11. A cobalt-blue. Dr. A Frank; available in yellow-olive, very rare in this color.