This is truly as handsome a urinal as I have ever encountered. Its color is totally unique and is metaphorical of the liquid it collects. To date it is the only colored urinal in my collection from Europe. Most solid colored ceramic urinals come from the Orient mostly China and are very old. I am sure it is of European extraction because of its details, but it was purchased here in the States. The golden glaze is different as well, for it has iron oxidation throughout its body adding a certain ambivalent spice to its overall appearance. Its opening is wide at 1 3/4" and supports a double rimmed lip. Its handle mocks a leather strap and adds to its sporty shape defined by its physical seam. At 10 1/4" it is longer than most urinals in its class and so because of its size, proportion and dapperness, I give this urinal very high marks.
The Urinal is a bowl or other receptacle, typically into which men may urinate. Origin, middle english (denoting a glass container for the medical inspection of urine); via old french from latin urinal from urina.
Solution is a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation. If you have ever had to go and had no place to receive, you can certainly understand the true meaning of the urinal solution.
It is the purpose of this blog to educate you as to the variety of this often needed but seldom appreciated vessel of ingenuity. The aesthetic of the hand held urinal is as varied in its material and design as anything in our cultural apparatuses and is a vessel that is employed daily by millions around the world.
With all this said, we blush when we see this venerated and abused vessel either in hand, shelf or wall. It is my hope through my posts that you will learn much that was not known or noticed before. I will take you to sights that will educate you on the subject, share with you the variety of the urinal from my private collection, links with other collections, share your photos of the unusual you may own as some prized heirloom forgotten in a dusty old attic, take you to resources of companies still dedicated to their craft and design and artists who are still committed to their unique aesthetic and purpose.
This most common of toilet apparatus is impossible to find for the common home owner. It seems only a very exclusive few in our society have any idea where these strange things are created, exchanged and collected. Why should that be?
So come back often to this sight to see the beautiful and often strange urinal in all its forms. I will share antique glass, vintage metal and ceramic, and even the newest of materials like plastics and gels. It is an impressive journey and one I am privileged to guide you through. It is one I started years ago and have only scratched the surface, but one I am absolutely passionate about and hope you will find intriguing as well.
I am a guy whose interest are many. I would say I am insatiable when it comes to knowledge and always wanting to learn more. I love art and science and my degrees are in Biology, painting and sculpture and technical theater. When it comes to urinals, I would say I am a bit fascinated by the highly used but seldom praised vessel. When I was first attracted to my first glass urinal in a second hand store some six years ago, I thought that would be it. But as I started to research the lowly urinal I realized it is an icon in our society but never recognized as such.
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