Viking Sonata - Elegant Rose Trailing Vines Etch

Here's one of the prettiest designs from Viking or New Martinsville, yet it isn't well known. This is Sonata, also called Sonita. It was one of the etches that Viking made early after they took over the reorganized New Martinsville.

This particular piece is the oval celery bowl and what makes it so very nice is the utter simplicity of the shape -a simple oval with no molded ornamentation - combined with the graceful, pretty rose etch. I had this piece for many years and finally got help from a glass expert to identify it. It's listed now on both eBay and TIAS; beautiful as it is, I cannot keep every piece of glass and this one needs a new home!

Prelude Etch - New Martinsville Begun, Viking Continued

Isn't this pretty? It is the bon bon with turned up edges and two handles and the etch is Prelude by New Martinsville. New Martinsville was reorganized into the Viking Glass company near the time that Prelude was begun. Prelude was a successful etch for New Martinsville and Viking continued it, and in fact produced more pieces.

Some of the later pieces have less elaborate shapes or less careful finishing and I've read that you may even find pieces where the design was applied externally, as a paint, instead of etched. This piece has a ground base rim and likely dates to the earlier part of the production.

We offer this on our eBay site and our online store within the TIAS collectible mall.

Georgian - Lovely Honeycomb Glassware

This is the footed sherbet from Viking Glass in their Georgian pattern. Almost every glass company made a Georgian pattern and it can be difficult to tell them apart, especially the water tumblers. Some pieces, like this sherbet or the matching goblet, are much easier.

We got a large set of Viking amber Georgian this summer and it is slowly finding new homes. There is an abundance of it available so it sells slowly and is not very expensive.

Viking made Georgian in many colors, as did Cambridge, Paden City, Fenton, Hocking and others. One way to tell makers is by the number of mold seams and whether the base is ground. Viking did not grind their bases but Cambridge and other elegant glass companies did. My grandmother had a set of ruby Georgian water tumblers and I still like this design.

Romantic Holidays with Vintage Stemware

Beautiful stemware with a history! You can add romance and a touch of nostalgia to your holidays by using vintage stemware. Whether you enjoy goblets treasured by your parents and passed down to you or you purchase stemware to start your own family tradition, lovely stemware adds a touch of elegance and sets you apart from everyone else.

The goblet shown on the left is beautifully etched with open roses and flower blossoms. This is called a plate etching, with the design inset into the glass surface. The particular goblet shown is Secretaries Primrose made by Monongah glass sometime before 1931. The flowers and simple shape make this fresh and appealing even today.

Other stemware, such as the amber Georgian goblet by Viking, is more suited to family meals as it is heavier and comes in a huge range of shapes including the goblet shown, plus tumblers, ice teas, juice and sherbets. Georgian has a honeycomb look to it and I remember my grandma had a set of red tumblers. Many glass companies made this design and you can find a rainbow of colors. I like this rich honey amber color which is perfect for fall. It makes you feel warm all over!

If you like the idea of adding a touch of charm and tradition to your family, please check our store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, for these and other vintage stemware.