Posted 13 years ago
rapsent
(1 item)
Hi everyone.
I just found this Dolphin Candlestick in a local thrift store in British Columbia, Canada! I collect early American Glass and was surprised to find this item here. At first I thought, WOW, an 1860 Sandwich glass candlestick in vaseline or canary, how fortunate a find. I collect Sandwich glass but dont have a Dolphin candlestick. I dont know very much about them. I looked on Ebay and saw lots of different shapes and forms and time periods including Westmoreland which had a similar 6 sided scalloped base. I then thought it was a Westmoreland item. Upon more looking I saw that all the Westmoreland pieces had a petal top. Mine has the hexagonal top more typical of the earlier Sandwich pieces.
So now I am very confused. This stick is a rich vaseline or canary color and is 6 7/8" tall and 4 1/8" across base, tip to tip. There is a hint of lime green in the color. It fluoresces brilliantly under black light. It has good weight and appears to be flint glass. The base has several concentric rings in it which I have not seen in other items. This has good authentic wear on all the base corners and has the normal small nicks and flea bites typical of vintage Sandwich pieces. The glass is very clear but it does have a few small bubbles and imperfections also typical. The top socket is joined to the tail with a hand applied wafer. It in every way has the attributes of 1850's 60's Sandwich, New England or Pittsburgh glass. It is the base that challenges me as most early ones have a square base.
I would welcome any further information anyone can provide me with. I would be happy to post more pictures under a Part 2. If anyone has any book references or pictures that would help. I am new to this website and dont know if I can post my email address but I will try. -- rswitak@shaw.ca -- Thanks for any information you can give me.
The connecting wafer is the best indication of age, and if this is present, it is more than likely authentic. Make sure there is no seam line running throughh the wafer. Many reproductions will exhibit a "wafer" but they will not be hand applied. These have been reproduced since the 1920s and are in their own right collectible to some. Also, remember that these were made abroad as well, though I don't think those will have the hand applied wafer.
I'd recommend "The Glass Candlestick Book" by Tom Felt, I believe it's three volumes. These books are overflowing with good information. Tom is an excellent researcher.
You might also want to try Barlow and Kaiser's books on Sandwich Glass, though Tom's books will be more comprehensive.
The connecting wafer is definitely hand applied. The seam lines on both the top and bottom sections do not line up. The wear on the base looks legitimate and the small nicks are typical.
Very Nice, I had a Northwood Petticoat Dolphin Candle stick which I wish I had not Given away!
Possibly an original ...
There is a mold for this candlestick owned by the Sandwich Glass Museum. There have been reproductions made for them by Pierpoint and Fenton. most, but not all have a SGM on the base. Some of the candlesticks were made in 2 pieces, with the socket attached. Perhaps a phone call to the museum followed by some photos ...
Magical looking.
I believe they may be Pairpoint..
The candlestick was made by Pairpoint Glass Co. at Sagamore, Mass. They were made for the Sandwich Glass Museum during the 1980's. The last one's I remember being made was in 1986-1987. The factory was sold in 1987-1988, I left in 1988. The process was in 3 parts, make the dolphin, make the cup and join together with the hand applied wafer. Hope this helps. If you have access to a geiger counter if it's the real canary or vaseline you will get a reading. Our canary yellow cup plates would register on a geiger counter.