Carnival glass inspired by Tiffany
Q. This is a photo of a berry bowl set. It was a gift from a dear elderly lady to my pastor father-in-law about 45 years ago. It is purple and includes a large berry bowl and four individual ones. Each piece is footed and has blue glass balls. The set is in mint condition.
What can you tell us about the maker, age and value of our set?
A. You have a carnival glass amethyst berry set by Fenton Art Glass Co. Frank and John Fenton founded the factory in Williamstown, West Virginia, in 1905. It made custard glass, chocolate glass and clear pressed glass. In 1908, it introduced carnival glass. The process involved firing an iridescent finish on pressed glass. Many have called it the "poor man's Tiffany." It gave the average homemaker an opportunity to purchase iridescent glass. Pieces were often given away as prizes at carnivals, hence the name. Fenton was the first to make carnival glass, followed by Northwood Pottery, Imperial, Millersburg Glass Co. and Dugan.
When it comes to determining value, color is key. It was available in marigold, amethyst, green and blue, marigold being the most common. The diamond pattern with floral centers appears to be inspired by embroidery. The saw-toothed edges, beaded webbing and scales are all characteristics of the "Fentonia" pattern. There was a variation of the pattern known as "Fentonia Fruit." Between 1905 and 1911, a plethora of patterns was made by the factories that produced carnival glass.
Your berry set would probably fetch $225 to $250 in an antiques shop.
Q. This mark is on a pottery pitcher I own. It is blue and decorated with a band of red apples around the top. It stands about 6 inches tall. Around the side are the words "Say not always what you know, but know what you say." It is in perfect condition.
What can you tell me about my pitcher?
A. Torquay Terracotta Co. made your pitcher. It was located in the Torquay district in South Devon, England, from around 1875 to 1940. It was an area rich in red terra cotta ware. By the late 1800s, several potteries were making "motto ware" decorated with proverbs or rhymes that appealed to tourists.
Your motto ware pitcher was made in the late 1800s and would probably be worth $50 to $75.
• 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 can't answer individual letters.
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