Strawberries and raspberries - Oh, my!
Q. This is a photo of a clear glass, footed bowl. I had forgotten about it and found it while looking for a small bowl to serve raspberries. I bought it at an antique shop years ago just because it appealed to me, and I don't know anything about its history. It is decorated with strawberries, blossoms, leaves and vines and is in mint condition. The height is about 3 inches, the diameter is 5 inches, and there are mold marks on the base.
I am hopeful you can tell me something about the maker, pattern, vintage and value.
A. Cambridge Glass Co. made your bowl. The factory was established in Cambridge, Ohio, in 1873. The pattern is called Inverted Strawberry. The company introduced these kinds of patterns around 1908, making pieces in clear, color and carnival glass. The glass was available in clear, green, blue and purple. The Inverted Strawberry pattern can be found on candlesticks, footed bowls, table sets, jelly compotes, goblets, berry sets and covered powder jars. The intaglio pattern is depressed into the surface rather than raised. The words "Near Cut" and the letter "C" in a diamond were two of the Cambridge marks. "Near Cut" can be found on some examples of this pattern. The factory experienced a series of financial difficulties and passed through several owners. It closed in 1954 only to reopen again in 1955. By 1958, it was forced to close once more. In 1960, Imperial Glass Co. bought their molds. By 1984, an era of versatile glassmaking came to an end: Imperial Glass filed for bankruptcy and closed.
Your footed bowl was made in the early 1900s and may be worth $25 to $50.
Q. This mark is on the bottom of a teapot that was given to me by a friend who collects antiques. I always admired it when she served tea. When she was downsizing, she gave it to me as a memento of the good times we shared over a cup of tea. It is decorated with shiny brown glaze and a white overlay of classical figures. The spout, handle and lid are gold.
I would appreciate learning more about my teapot.
A. Gibson & Sons Ltd. made your teapot. They were in business from 1885 to about 1970 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Albany and Harvey were two of Gibson & Sons' Staffordshire potteries.
Your teapot was made around 1909 and would probably be worth $25 to $50.
• 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.
© 2019, Creators Syndicate