This morning, at 8:02 am (Eastern), the August full moon reached its peak size and illumination. Full moons during August are traditionally called a "Sturgeon Moon" because—during this mid-summer month—fishermen on the Great Lakes found the sturgeon easiest to catch.
Sturgeon are a remarkable creature, and, sadly, increasingly rare today due to overfishing since the Nineteenth Century. Fossil records of sturgeons can be found from 136 million years ago (showing the fish largely unchanged through today) and the fish can live to be 150 years old! Females reach sexual maturity at 20 and reproduce every four years. They can grow to six feet in length and weigh over 200 pounds. Because the creatures grow and reproduce so slowly, their populations have great difficulty surviving overfishing. Their populations have been exploited in order to harvest the female's roe.
The English ceramic vase shown above, made in the 1920's or 1930's, has a sophisticated, dappled grey glazing. It's reminiscent of the surface of the moon. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248