Posted 12 years ago
debbiepike54
(36 items)
The gold dish belonged to a grandmother that was born in the early 1900's so I know it is old. The blue one was given to me recently, and I only know it also belonged to an elderly person that is now deceased. I have several other pieces but I am not sure if they are original or repro's. Advise is appreciated. They're sentimental only. Thanks again Paul for identifying these for me.
Debbie, They are both old carnival. The blue compote is Fenton's Holly and the bowl (color called "marigold" by collectors) is Dugan's "Fishscale and Beads."
Hi Paul,
Very helpful information you have given me, and I appreciate it. A lady that I have never met but am friends with on facebook sent the blue compote along with many crystal pieces all the way from the state of Washington to me last week. Some of the crystal broke before it reached me in Texas. She just wanted me to have her dishes and some belonged to her mother as did the blue piece.
By the way Paul. Am I correct though I have no book knowledge of the age of carnival glass. The older pieces have the satin or pearlized glow??
While many newer pieces of carnival are harsh and bright, you can't really go by the finish to ascertain if the piece is old or not. Millersburg was famous for its Radium wares, which is a very bright, shiny, metallic iridescence. Many people pass by that thinking it's new, but it dates from the 1910-1912 period. Some newer pieces of carnival have a stainy iridescence. This all depends on if the metallic salts (which create the iridescent finish) were sprayed on when the glass was hot or cooled a bit (the hotter the glass, the more 'satiny' the effect).
Best way to know if a piece of carnival is old is to familiarize yourself with the patterns. Dave Doty's site is a good way to see patterns and photos, and in many cases he mentions whether a piece has been reproduced or not. Dave delights in photography, and reports auction prices rather than being a serious researcher of the stuff. His site is http://www.ddoty.com
Thank you so very much for the needed help. I am going to learn more about carnival glass!