Help
Sign In
December 2008 
The Marble
Posted on Jun 30th, 2007
by 
lagniappe
lagniappe
I first heard the word lagniappe when my mother came back from a visit to New Orleans. She had scrawled the word on a small piece of paper and had pulled it out of her pocketbook. It was the mid-1970's and we were living in Northern Virginia and mom had brought back an old ceramic jug full of antique marbles for my younger sister who collected marbles. The ceramic jug didn't fit in mom’s suitcase so she put it in a separate carry-on piece of luggage. Despite her care carrying the antique marbles and the beautiful ceramic jug that was full of them - it broke in transport. When Bonnie saw the broken jug and the luggage full of agates, catseyes, and ceramic marbles she was so excited. Bonnie - my younger sister - could rattle off the names of all the different kinds.
Mom told the story of how the jug broke and then later got her pocket book and the piece of paper with the word ˜lagniappe on it. Within the piece of paper was another marble, much larger than the others scattered about amongst framents of ceramic chips in the suitcase. Mom said to us ˜this is a (lag - nee - op - ee)™. She was so excited to be able to tell Bonnie that she, too, knew the name of a type of marble. Bonnie said she had never heard of a ˜lagniappe before. Mom continued to tell the story of her visit to her friends in New Orleans and how they went from various shop to shop on a quest to find various gifts to take back home. Mom then told how she went into one shop and eventually spotted this old ceramic jar filled with marbles.
So, here our family was looking at these marbles and stumped on the fact we had never heard Bonnie mention lagniappe marbles before. We thought it to be the most beautiful marble we had ever seen - about the diameter of a 50 cent piece, clear, with beautiful spirals swirling inside.
Months later Bonnie had purchased a book on antique marbles and discovered that the marble she knew as a lagniappe to be a swirl or a German Spiral or alatticinio and this of course started Bonnie on a new twist with her marble collection.
Some months later Rene - one of the New Orleans friends - was back in Northern Virginia and Bonnie showed her the collection. I had made a display case with black lining and holes drilled in the bottom for each marble to rest. A light hidden underneith the display case lit the marbles up from below. To Bonnie these marbles were precious gems - and in some ways - even more beautiful! Bonnie told Rene the story of the marbles and showed her the various lag - nee - op -ee that she had since added to her collection after the original one from New Orleans. After hearing mom tell her version of story Rene said "I think you mean lagniappe - (pronounced lan-yop)". Mom chuckled ˜yes, that is how the lady said it". Rene said that this was a custom among people in New Orleans - especially shopkeepers - to 'give a little something extra for nothing'.
It was a very special marble. It was a 'lagniappe'.
I think the word lagniappe is a beautiful word. for more information on this word visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagniappe
www.collectiblemarbles.com/ yelllatredblue.jpg
Mom told the story of how the jug broke and then later got her pocket book and the piece of paper with the word ˜lagniappe on it. Within the piece of paper was another marble, much larger than the others scattered about amongst framents of ceramic chips in the suitcase. Mom said to us ˜this is a (lag - nee - op - ee)™. She was so excited to be able to tell Bonnie that she, too, knew the name of a type of marble. Bonnie said she had never heard of a ˜lagniappe before. Mom continued to tell the story of her visit to her friends in New Orleans and how they went from various shop to shop on a quest to find various gifts to take back home. Mom then told how she went into one shop and eventually spotted this old ceramic jar filled with marbles.
She told the shops owner how her youngest daughter was fascinated by antique marbles. Mom decided to purchase the jug of marbles and after she did the shop owner later got out another marble and handed it to mom. The lady told mom she could have this marble. Mom was amazed. Mom asked what it was and the lady said a lagniappe - you can have it since you are buying this old jug of marbles. Being a bit forgetful mom scrawled the name down - believing it to be the type of marble it was. She forgot the pronunciation by the time she had returned to Northern Virginia.
So, here our family was looking at these marbles and stumped on the fact we had never heard Bonnie mention lagniappe marbles before. We thought it to be the most beautiful marble we had ever seen - about the diameter of a 50 cent piece, clear, with beautiful spirals swirling inside.
Months later Bonnie had purchased a book on antique marbles and discovered that the marble she knew as a lagniappe to be a swirl or a German Spiral or alatticinio and this of course started Bonnie on a new twist with her marble collection.
Some months later Rene - one of the New Orleans friends - was back in Northern Virginia and Bonnie showed her the collection. I had made a display case with black lining and holes drilled in the bottom for each marble to rest. A light hidden underneith the display case lit the marbles up from below. To Bonnie these marbles were precious gems - and in some ways - even more beautiful! Bonnie told Rene the story of the marbles and showed her the various lag - nee - op -ee that she had since added to her collection after the original one from New Orleans. After hearing mom tell her version of story Rene said "I think you mean lagniappe - (pronounced lan-yop)". Mom chuckled ˜yes, that is how the lady said it". Rene said that this was a custom among people in New Orleans - especially shopkeepers - to 'give a little something extra for nothing'.
It was a very special marble. It was a 'lagniappe'.
I think the word lagniappe is a beautiful word. for more information on this word visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagniappe
www.collectiblemarbles.com/ yelllatredblue.jpg
Access: Public
I love the story! I have a thing for glass beads, all of which are long since gone, and your story reminded me of this. I started my love of glass beads in high school, and wore them with all of my vintage clothing, and patchouli, along with the collection of Mardi Gras beads (a brown paper lunch sack full of them) I received as a 17th birthday gift from a friend in drama class. I used to trade my glass beads with a Cherokee shaman I knew. I received quite a few “lagniappe” beads too (-:
very nice story. Are you still connected with gaia comm. or has life taken you on a new adventure?? I am in Sacramento, Ca. things are moving as usual. But I myself am a bead lover. Keep creating.
As I read this blog, a huge grin spread across my face, and it's still there.
What a BEAUTIFUL story…
Langinappe,
your chosen name for Gaia, seems to fit you very well…
Hugs!
-Susan