Antique and Vintage Toothpick Holders

Whether it's a ruffled-top piece of Burmese glass made by Mt. Washington Glass Co., circa 1889, or a signed Rosie O'Neil Kewpie figurine, circa 1910, toothpick holders are among the most charming "smalls" in the world of antiques and collectibles. Toothpick holders are often sold alongside matchsafes, restaurant ware creamers, and salt-and-pepper shakers, the latter of which are sometimes ground flat on their tops so they could be resold by unscrupulous pickers as authentic and original receptacles for toothpicks. In fact, there is no need for anyone to go to such trouble because toothpick holders are plentiful, and have been since the Victorian Era, when they were first popularized. One can find antique and vintage toothpick holders made of cut or pressed glass by companies such as Heisey, Indiana, Northwood, McKee, Cambridge, and Fostoria, to name but a very few. These small pieces came in every color of the rainbow, from plain pinks and blues to more exotic mother of pearl and coralene treatments. Some holders were meant to resemble tiny wooden barrels or wicker baskets, while others were dotted with hobnails or diamond shapes. That hints at the range of the colors and decorations, but what of the shapes? Well, while most vintage glass toothpick holders were variations on squat cylinders, many were made to resemble miniature vases, upside down top hats, empty boots, or trophies. Some were outfitted with metal handles so they could be carried as one would a bucket or pail, others were decorated with animal figures such as alligators, horses, or frogs. There were holders in the shapes of anvils, holders that resembled sheaves of wheat, and, yes, toothpick holders that resembled matchsafes. That's the glass, or at least a fraction of it. The inventory of ceramic toothpick holders is just as vast. R.S. Prussia made toothpick holders as did Royal Bayreuth, Rosenthal, and Wedgwood, which made some of its holders in Jasperware. As for toothpick holders from Japan, they can be found with everything from Nippon to Noritake stamped on their bases. And just as common is the galaxy of metal toothpick holders, a great many of which were formed out of silverplate.