Colonial Block Candy Dish - Great Gift for Collectors!

Here's a wonderful gift for someone special (maybe you?) whether they already collect depression glass or simply enjoy beautiful items in their home. This is a covered candy jar from Hazel Atlas in Colonial Block green depression glass.

One great way to ignite someone's interest in glass is to give them a unique gift which has a history. Not only does vintage glass - which someone before us used and treasured - give us an intimate connection to the past, but it is an interesting insight into lives from years ago.

And from a purely practical point of view, once someone is hooked on depression glass you have a lifetime's worth of gifts you will know will be enjoyed and wanted.

Hazel Atlas made several patterns like that that get their looks from geometric motifs instead of the mold-etched fanciful designs. You'll find Colonial Block mostly in green and pink with a few pieces in clear and white. It's one of the less-expensive patterns, another reason to make it a starter design for the beginning collector. There were not great many pieces made, either, which also makes it easier to find and complete ones' set.

We offer this candy jar in our online store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Crystal Center Handled Server Sandwich Tray

Yesterday we showed a neat cupped center handled server from New Martinsville. Today let's look at one that is more traditional shape.

This is a pretty piece of elegant depression glass from Westmoreland. It is a center handled server with the round serving portion slightly sloped up but not cupped. It is a tray with a handle in the center instead of a shallow bowl with a handle as the amber piece earlier.

Center handled servers, also called CHS, were popular serving pieces for sandwiches or small cakes or cookies. People entertained in their homes and would have used a special piece like this to make an occasion a little fancier. This one is quite nice with a tailored cutting of close lines separated by the simple flower sprays. It would be fun to use this today for anything from appetizers to cookies to sandwiches.

We have this listed in our store on TIAS, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, along with several other CHS.
Catladykate's Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Amber Center Handled Server Bowl New Martinsville

Isn't this an interesting piece? You'll see more of the center handled serving trays or sandwich trays than ones like this that are shallow bowls.

The handle on this bowl is a rounded pentagon with two little ears beneath the open center. It reminds me of an ankh. New Martinsville made this piece and the maker can be identified by the handle shape.

The handle is offset from the square sides and aligns to the corners. You can see the corners have interesting scallops and there are more scallops, albeit quite gentle ones, on the sides. This pattern doesn't have a name, and is line number 36. The color is a deep, rich amber, very nice and warm, perfect for this time of year.

We have this listed in our TIAS store.http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

New: We started a blog for people who are just beginning to enjoy depression glass called Depression Glass 101. http://depressionglassguide.blogspot.com/

American Sweetheart - Beloved Pink Depression Glass

American Sweetheart, by MacBeth Evans, is one of the most popular patterns in depression glass. You can see why - the light delicate glass, the intricate scrolls and floral-like design - all combine to make this a very pretty and choice pattern.

You'll find American Sweetheart in pink, as shown here in this cereal bowl, and in a light, translucent white glass called Monax. Some of the Monax pieces were decorated with rim treatments but to me the plain Monax is the nicest. You can find a few pieces in other colors, but they are rather rare.

Mayfair Open Rose Depression Glass

This pitcher is Mayfair pink depression glass by Hocking. This pattern has vertical ribs and wide panels with open roses grouped in a bouquet. Many pieces are square as is this pitcher.

Hocking made Mayfair for several years, 1931 to 1937, and in a soft blue plus some green, yellow and clear in addition to the pink. The blue is very scarce and I've seen only a couple pieces. It is a soft blue, not cobalt.

A few pieces of Mayfair have been reproduced, notably the pitcher, shot glass, shakers and cookie jar. The handle on the pitcher shown here is a smooth curve that comes horizontally off the body. The repro handles are odd shaped. Also, the base on the originals have round mold marks with the repros lack.

Good depression glass books will give details on how to tell repros from originals. Often the repros will be poorly molded or be strange colors that were never made.

We have this pitcher listed in our TIAS store and eBay store.

Fostoria Garland - Lovely Urn and Wreath Etched Stemware

Beautiful etch is Garland from Fostoria. This dates to between 1915 and 1928 and is lovely with today's table settings.

Fostoria made a cutting called Garland also, and they used a second stemware line for this etch. If you like this you will want to be sure you are getting the etch and stemware blank you prefer. The other blank has a much wider stem and the bowl is more bulbous.

Garland features an urn overflowing with flowers and leaves that form swags around the bowl. The swags connect to round wreaths that have ribbons at the end. You can see the wreaths in this view.

During the early part of the 20th century formal dinners often included multiple wines and used separate stems for each one. This is one reason why the wine stems from early days are much smaller than wine stems one buys today. This particular wine goblet holds only 2 3/4 ounces when filled to the very brim. This is the common size for older wine stems - another point to know if you decide to indulge yourself with vintage crystal stemware.

We have this listed in our TIAS and eBay stores.
http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

New: We started a blog for people who are just beginning to enjoy depression glass called Depression Glass 101. http://depressionglassguide.blogspot.com/

Old English Depression Glass aka Threading by Indiana Glass

Yes, this is depression glass, but it has a lot of looks and is stylish even today. The pattern is Old English and it has narrow, fine ribs running horizontally. The element that makes this pattern pop is the handle shape - notice the double curlicue on this comport. Some pieces have open clover shapes, very nice and sharp.

Indiana Glass made Old English in the late 1920s. Many of Indiana's depression patterns have only numbers, but this one is different as the pattern name appears to be original with the manufacturer. This has the appearance of finer glass, partly due to the style, but also the colors and shapes. It comes in green with some amber and pink and the amber is deep and rich, very nice.

We have this piece and the matching candle holder listed in our TIAS and eBay stores.
http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass