Not Sure What I Have...

bmpbmp
edited July 2012 in Question and Answer
I recently purchased this compote/comport and can not find it any where. Does anyone know what I have?

Comments

  • This 'ruffled' & footed candy dish was a standard fantasy form of the Fenton Art Glass Co. (Williamstown PA) in the 1970-80's. Collectors call the pattern "FINE CUT & BLOCK", originally made ca.1890 at King glassworks, Pittsburgh PA. This is referred to as a reproduction even though King never made footed compotes in Fine Cut & Block. Nor were originals made in the dozen weird colors that Fenton chose to produce. This is either Fenton's 'Colonial Green' (1973?) or 'Heritage Green' (1983?). The oldest of Fenton's Fine Cut & Block pieces probably bore a green/white label "Olde Virginia Glass" as this product line was sold exclusively through gift shops not related to Fenton's regular product lines; some of these pieces after 1973 were embossed during the pressing with the letters OV. IMHO the American pressed glass industry excellorated its own demise by producing these ugly colors while attempting to cash in on the country's Bicentennial interest in old stuff from our history; ugly greens & ambers are quaint and appropriate for blown reproduction bottles but not for finer-quality tableware (note that Imperial Glass died in 1987 and Westmoreland Glass died in 1985 while rumors are that Fenton is just barely limping along). But there are still die-hard Fenton collectors, their pressing in this line is nicely crisp and even I have a soft spot for this nice hand-crimped rim. My source is mostly "Identifying Pattern Glass Reproductions" (1993) by Jenks - Luna - Reilly out of Wallace-Homestead publishers, a book I cannot endorse as it has as many mistakes and omissions as it has accuracies -- but it is the only game in town. [One story circulated by pressed glass collectors for years is that this footed candy dish is actually made from the mold for a 6" Goblet; when still hot and slightly molten, the edge is drawn out or elongated before the crimping tool is applied 6 times around the rim. Maybe the telling of this story will let you realize a high retail of $25-30] -- GlassBobB
  • Thank you so much for the information. It was very helpful.
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