Understanding Early Glass
by Wayne Mattox
Understanding how
it was made; molten glass was blown, as one would blow a
balloon, then shaped with tools or molds by a "gaffer,"
is the first step toward identifying valuable antique
glass in your own back yard. And, it does show up,
frequently. One of my mom's friends, Shelly, bought
a miniature "blown" glass bottle with an "applied" handle
at a local tag sale last spring. Despite a small
"heat-check" crack, a crack that happened in making when
the red hot gooey handle was applied to the cooler
bottle, the insignificant appearing two-inch tall amber
demijohn was sold for four-hundred dollars-fair profit on
a nickel investment! Shelly 's expertise is toys, not
glass. She encounters hundreds of inexpensively priced
glass pieces every week when she's making her antique
hunting rounds.. She took a shot on the bottle because it
was a low risk gamble, and it looked interesting. Here's
a few tips that may rouse your interest if you happen to
cross paths with an old piece of glass.
Inspect the base
for a "potil mark." Gaffers held the red-hot glass gobs
they fashioned with an iron "pontil rod" which was
snapped off when the article was finished. This
hand-crafted glass making technique leaves a trail for
antique detectives; a round jagged scar in the middle of
the base. Sometimes, especially in finer pieces made
after 1790, this pontil scar was removed by polishing,
resulting in a smooth bowl-like indentation called a
"polished pontil." A pontil mark identifies "blown"
glass, and opens the door to the possibility of age and
value.
Inspect the base for wear. Remember the "U"
rule of thumb in the "ABC's of Antique
Collecting: Unless wear is where it belongs, it
does not belong." Old glass objects will have tiny flat
spots on those small areas of the base where the object would
come into contact with a table, etc.. Note, that an
uneven gaffer-fashioned base seldom presents a flat surface,
and that a base which has been "worn" in non-contact areas is
quite probably a fake.
- Examine
"molded" glass. Figural flasks, decanters,
embossed bottles, decorative "lacy" glass, pattern
glass, and many other old glassware items were shaped
in molds. Unfortunately, fakes and
reproductions of early molded glass far exceeds
original items today. Authentic pieces are
weighty and sharply-edged compared to contemporary
examples. Identifying irregularities like
"spill-over," where too much glass was poured into
the mold, and "annealing lines," hair-like
inconsistencies on the surface, can also be of aid in
ferreting-out old glass.
- Look for a few
bubbles in the glass. Air bubbles were evidence of
shoddy quality to older day glassmakers,
nevertheless, some did appear. Bubbly glass, should
purchased by only those intent on building a
collection of Mexican souvenirs.
- Listen for a
"ping." When tapped, early "flint" glass emits a
bell-like tone. Not all old glass rings, however.
"Lime" or "soda" glass and closed-neck pieces like
bottles and decanters seldom
"ping."
- "Extrinsic
decoration;" decoration introduced to glass after it
was fashioned and allowed to cool, like cutting,
engraving, etching, enameling, and gilding, can add
considerable value to glass. This is especially true
if the work is well-executed and gives an indication
as to its history. A recently discovered bottle with
"Amelung" style engraving is expected to bring in
excess of $20,000 at a Rhode Island auction this
month.
Early glass in
color can be quite valuable. Authentic glass can often be
recognized by the vibrancy of its color. Recognition can
only be learned by experience. Visit a museum, like
the Corning Glass Museum, in Corning NY, to study old
glass. It 's a beautiful window into
yesterday.
by
AntiqueTalk.com
Reprinted with
permission
Copyright by Wayne Mattox
©
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