Obama's First Gift As President To Be Crystal Bowl

WASHINGTON — To Barack Obama, from Congress on behalf of the American people: One hand-cut, crystal bowl with an etching of his new home in Washington.

The president-elect will receive the present at a luncheon with members of Congress after the inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20.

The $2,500 one-of-a-kind bowl weighs nearly 8 pounds and shows an image of the White House, with cherry trees on each side. As the bowl is rotated, the president's residence can be seen through the trees.

Congress commissioned the bowl from Lenox Inc., which donated it as a gift, a favor permissible under a congressional resolution.

Joe Biden will receive a similar crystal bowl when he becomes vice president, only his will have an image of the Capitol, with blooming cherry trees.

The gifts took hundreds of hours to make and were designed by glass cutter Timothy Carder using a combination of etching and hand cutting. Obama's is 5 1/2 inches high and 9 inches in diameter and sits on a hand-cut base made of optical crystal engraved with his name and the date of his inauguration.

"The inauguration of a new president is one of the most solemn and ceremonial moments in our nation's history," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The bowl "captures the beauty and dignity" of the occasion, she said.

The company created the inaugural gifts for George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

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On the Net:

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies: http://inaugural.senate.gov

(This version CORRECTS number of hours.)

Comments

[joycehelene]

I just can't believe the tacky things people are saying about the gift of the Crystal Bowl. I guess most of the posts are from folks who have no idea what crystal is or think, it is glass to be used for food. It is a beautiful AMERICAN made gift which President Obama will cherish forever. Only skilled artisans can produce them taking a lot of years of learning. If there is nothing thoughtful, positive or constructive to post it would be far better just to keep some of the trashy thoughts from the posts, they are very vulgar and not necessary.

[drock973]

Obama can use it as an ashtray.

[maiforpeace]

They should give the president the choice of that bowl, or putting it towards one of his favorite charities. Guaranteed if he had the choice between that tacky bowl and charity, he would pick the latter. What are they supposed to do with that ugly dust collector?

[blico]

Not likely will it be given to charity - doesn't look like he has a favorite one.
2007 tax return shows income of 4.1 mil with 2.4k for contributions, about 5%.
Very generous!!!! Most of that probably went to the construction of his preachers
10 mil cottage. However for those of you with money - he says he WILL be generous
in spreading yours around.

[AmbivalentGuy]

Hi Joe,
I don't remember the word "generous" being used.
But I guess you were there.

[loveobamas]

Why do he need to look at the White house for he gonna all ready be in it,not a good gift at all

[ProgressDon]

That thing looks cheal as heII

[BannedInBoston]

Only Congress can take a piece of expensive crystal and make it look cheap....

[AmbivalentGuy]

It's not Lennox's best work.
The balance is off.

[hoodie]

I do mind paying for the kinda junk. Looks like a dust collector. Knock it off with the junk already, let's fix this country. Sorry for pee_ing on your Wheaties.

[Salz08]

Read the article. No one paid for it. Lenox donated it.

[forpeace]

*

Did I pay for this?

....... oh well, I don't mind it at all.

*

[OB08]

No - it was donated by the company that made it. However, I don't mind if my tax dollars paid for it.

[tiajudita]

The bowl is a nice gesture and will end up in Obama's presidential library some day.

A crystal ball may have been more practical.

[Ydnic]

LoL!!!!

[Yola]

With all the mess he will have to clean up they could have at least given him a candy bowl with a solid gold base.

[EverAfter]

Okay... so it took "hundreds of hours" to make by master craftsman and is ONLY valued at $2,500. ???!!!! WTF? I thought slavery was a thing of the past!!

[Bitsko]

Look closely at the bottom of the bowl. It says Made In China.

[Agentlady007]

I predict that someday all these made in China jokes will come back to haunt us, as they become priceless works of art. People will get lazy and only wish they had the patience to make a bowl or a china doll. Paint it as delicately as the Chinese. I also predict China learns birth control.

[ThirdSection]

I'm sure that if you look at the bottom of a Ming vase, it will also say Made in China.

[PhillipP]

I have not read all the comments so I do not know if anyone has already mentioned this but Lenox closed their crystal manufacturing facility several years ago because of foreign competition. That means this gift, unlike the crystal presentation bowls of past presidents was probably manufactured in Europe and etched here in the US. Why wasn't the bowl purchased from Corning which is still manufacturing crystal in the United States?

[Bitsko]

"The inauguration of a new president is one of the most solemn and ceremonial moments in our nation's history," says Sen. Feinstein.

Solemn? Lady, we are going to party down!

[fernandez86]

And you know that!

[mytwosense]

A penny jar? If so, head to TD Bank, Mr. Obama.

[AudsMom]

Hey Congress how about this gift on behalf of the American people...p­ass a stimulus package..l­et's forego the bowl (as beautiful as it may be), there are better things to do.

[MelRoy]

A candy bowl. How nice...(sh­e says, rolling eyes).