Gazing Balls

Gazing balls originated in 13th century Venice, Italy, where they were hand-blown by skilled craftsmen.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, is said to have adorned his Herrenchiemsee palace with lawn balls, however, the palace and gardens were never finished after Ludwig died in 1885. Sometime later the gardens, based on Versailles, were open to the public and visitors may have seen the 'lawn balls,' but the Victorian period was quickly coming to an end. By the 1880s and 90s the nature of English landscape was changing dramatically with William Robinson's and Gertrude Jekyll's designs. It would be difficult to say that "Mad King Ludwig" had much influence in the area of garden ornaments.

A yard globe, also known as a garden globe, gazing ball, lawn ball, garden ball, gazing globe, mirror ball, chrome ball, or orb, is a mirrored sphere typically displayed atop a conical ceramic or wrought iron stand as a lawn ornament. Its size ranges from 2 to 22 inches in diameter, with the most popular gazing ball being about 12 inches (30 cm). Gazing balls were glass but can now be stainless steel, ceramic, or stained glass. We carry 10" and 12" in glass with a smooth surface, swirl surface, or opal p.o. surface.