Midwestern Swirl Bottles

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If you search around on ebay, it doesn't take long to find several bottles whose sellers are reporting them to be midwestern or perhaps Zanesville Swirls.

Before you lay out some real cash on a deal ($500 - 1000 or more) for the real item, make sure you know the difference between the authentic and the many reproductions on the market.

Here are a few examples of modern pieces. I'll post more photos as I come across them.

In general, the originals have a more refined swirl pattern and fairly thin glass. Expect to find some irregularity and intentional variation in the reproduction. Really the only way to tell the difference for certain is to examine lots of pieces, both original and modern.

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Here is another modern example. This is a molded piece but up the same alley. Train your eye.

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This swirled decanter and matching cup brought $88 recently on ebay. It is probably Mexican and dates from no earlier than the 1970s.

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This decanter with stopper and applied handle is also modern and quite likely is Mexican glass. Not surprisingly, it found no buyer when offered with a starting bid of $189<img src="/vanilla2/uploads/FileUpload/2/42.png" />

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Here is a modern swirl / ribbed flask from Pairpoint Glassworks in Sandwich, MA. Visit their web site to see lots of quality reproduction glass.<img src="/vanilla2/uploads/FileUpload/5/45.png" />

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Here's is a view of the base of the Pairpoint flask

Georgia

Seems like some of those modern pieces are more exacting in proportions, is that correct? I'm learning

Chris

Not necessarily. Many 19th century pieces have a definite uniformity to the shape and the glass was quite refined.