Posted 13 years ago
busymom2th…
(10 items)
I love the pattern on this. This antique pitcher sparkles in the sunlight. We don't know the history of this nor the maker. We understand it to be an antique. If you can enlighten us as to some of the history, pattern, or maker, that would be great!
I looked up the pattern in an old book I have. None of them fit 100%, but I found four that seem close. (Many Early American Pattern Glass patterns will vary a bit though.) I will list them in order of the most likely.
1. Flower Medallion - Indiana Glass Co., ca. 1920
2. Flower and Diamond - US Glass Co., ca. 1913
3. Gaelic - Indiana Glass Co., ca.1910
4. Floricut - US Glass Co. (Glassport), ca. 1916
The last two are similar due to pattern or shape, but I think one of the first two are closer. Of course, it could be a reproduction piece. Usually, new glass is REALLY slick feeling. Old glass isn't.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Thank you for even noticing this. I'm quite certain this is not new, as I am in my 50's and know this has been in our family for most of my life. My dad loved to go to auctions when I was in my elementary school years, and I have fond memories of going with him and often with friends to these events. I appreciate your taking time to look this up in your book. Perhaps when I have more time, I'll try looking for similar patterns in books at the library. Do you have the name of your book? Do you think I would ever be able to find a copy in a library? Thanks again!
You won't find your pitcher by looking up those suggestions. This is cut glass, not Early American Pattern Glass, which is pressed. It likely dates between 1910 and 1920 when cut glass motifs with hobstars, etc were combined with floral designs.
The book is "The Collector's Encyclopedia of Pattern Glass" by Mollie Helen McCain. It is from the late 80's, so it's likely out-of-print. There may be others however.
I have only made suggestions. There are examples of presssed AND cut glass (called Prescut, I think). Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) is not ONLY pressed glass. EAPG is glass that typically dates before about 1930.
Thank you for your information. You can tell I'm new at learning about antiques. I am glad that there are a few experts out there!
EAPG is pressed glass, with few exceptions of mould blown patterns from the 1890s by companies (such as Consoldated, Northwood, etc) which are considered EAPG. Some EAPG may have cuttings, some may be engraved, and some may have etchings. These are decorative techiques. The common thread is that EAPG is moulded glass made in matched table settings. Individual items from the same era which have no matching pieces *technically* are not EAPG; they are more properly classified as pressed glass novelties. It's difficult to place hard start and finish dates to any era, but most collectors, and we at the EAPGS (Early American Pattern Glass Society), accept ca. 1850-1915. By 1850 matched sets of glassware ("pattern glass") were becoming popular and more the norm than single items. In the 1880s and 1890s vast amounts were being made by dozens and dozens of manufacturers, and it was a highly competitive market.
Companies that survived into the new century and into the depression era still continued to produce some items from their earlier lines. Indiana Glass Co is a good example. Many of their patterns had long lives. Some patterns that were introduced by 1910 were still shown in company catalogs in the early 1930s, but the number of items offered was much less than what was offered earlier. Catalogs of the United States Glass Co. from the 'teens show some carry over items too, but most items were discontinued and the full lines were no longer offered.
Prescut is a trademark used by McKee. It is wholly pressed glass with no cutting that was made to look like cut glass. They introudced their line of Prescut glass beginning in 1903. They are often referred to as the "tec patterns" because nearly all of the names had a suffix of -tec (Aztec, Bontec, Fentec, Martec ,etc etc etc; there were many of them introduced over the next decade). Imitation brilliant cut glass was quite popular and different companies had their own name for it. Cambridge called and marked theirs "Near Cut".
McKee's Innovation line introduced in the 'teens combined pressed glass with cutting. Again, the cutting is a decorative technique. It is pressed glass with light cutting to highlight the designs, mostly floral patterns, and was offered as a cheaper alternative to true, fully cut glass. United States Glass Co. offered their own line which was competitive and quite similar. This is the type glass that imitates busymom's pitcher (hers being fully cut glass)