Cut glass milk jug is a cut above
Q. This is a photo of a cut glass tankard that we have. It is in very good condition. It has a scalloped saw-toothed edge and a notched handle, and it stands 6 inches tall. After closely examining it for the maker's signature, we found it on the bottom. The mark is less than 1/2 inch in diameter and includes the words "J. Hoare and Co. - Corning - 1853."
Thank you for any information you can provide on the maker, age and insurance value.
A. J. Hoare & Co. was located in Brooklyn and Corning, New York, from 1853 to 1920. The company was founded by Irish immigrant John Hoare. It created complex and intricate patterns on lead handblown and pressed glass blanks. Some of the designs used on the cut glass were hobstars, crosshatching, fans, flat stars, Gothic arches and crescents. You have a jug rather than a tankard, and it was used for serving milk. It was made during the Brilliant Period of American cut glass. At the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, American cut-glass companies ushered in the innovative geometric cut-glass patterns. The fans, crosshatching, star, serrated/saw-toothed scalloped rim and notched handle are characteristic of the Brilliant Period. Lead that was used in cut glass was needed for ammunition for World War I, and the period came to an end by 1917.
Your jug should be insured for $100 to $150.
Q. This mark is on the back of a porcelain plate that was among my great-grandmother's things. No one in our family knows what its purpose is. It is about 8 inches in diameter. It has seven depressions, one of which is in the center. The outer edge is scalloped, and it is decorated with pastel flowers against a white background.
We hope you can solve our mystery and tell us something about its value.
A. You have a Victorian oyster plate. The six wells/depressions are for serving six oysters, and the one in the center is for dipping sauce. It was made by Victoria Porcelain Factory in Altrohlau, Austria. It was in business from 1883 to 1945. The mark you provided was used from 1891 to 1918.
Your oyster plate would probably be worth $75 to $125.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
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