Antique Furniture Glass – Is It Original?

By Fred Taylor

A question that invariably pops up during the examination of an older or antique piece of furniture is: “Is that the original glass?” It’s relatively easy to determine if a piece has been refinished—it lacks the normal wear and tear evident on an old finish. And it’s also easy to determine if a piece has been re upholstered. New fabric, new stuffing and new gimp are undeniable in appearance and smell. Even well done wood repairs can be detected with an exacting enough inspection, but how can you tell about glass? After all, glass is glass isn’t it? And it doesn’t wear with age, doesn’t smell when its new and you can’t repair it, so how can you tell?

Actually there are two basic inspection techniques you can use to determine if a piece of glass, or a mirror for that matter, has been replaced. The first technique looks at the support structure around the glass and the second looks at the glass itself.

Glass incorporated into a piece of furniture has to be supported and attached in some manner. The most common method of securing clear window glass in a cabinet is with wooden strips nailed into the case or door frame that hold the glass in place. In older furniture these wooden strips are very often brittle and can tell you if they may have been removed to replace the glass. Carefully inspect the strips for signs of removal which might include indentations left by the screwdriver or knife used to pry the strips from their original home. Also look for jagged breaks in longer strips that may indicate some rough use somewhere along the line. Lastly, look for a second set of nail holes in the strips. Very often a good repair person will put the original nails back in the original holes but sometimes that can’t be done for a variety of reasons and new nails in new holes have to be installed. These will be obvious with a close, critical look.

Another, older method of securing glass in place is with the use of original muntins, not to be confused with the plywood cutouts of the same name used in 20th century reproductions. Original muntins are strips of wood which surround a piece of glass in the center of a door and hold several individual pieces of glass in place to make a glass paneled door. Usually the glass is held to the muntins with a tiny headless nail and then the exposed edge of the muntin is covered in putty or glazing material. Look for signs of new putty around the muntins and tools marks in the surrounding areas, indicating the nails may have been removed and replaced.

Checking for original mirrors is usually even easier than looking for new clear glass. Most mirrors have a backing material of some sort over the frame in the rear. It may be just paper glued over the frame or it may be wood. If the old paper has been replaced you know right away that there is a good chance the old mirror has been replaced also. If the back panel is wood make sure it is consistent with the purported age of the frame. For example, a mid 19th century mirror will not originally have had a plywood back panel. It should have a solid board or several boards nailed in place to make the panel. Again, the nails are important. Mid-19th century nails are different from mid-20th century nails, so new nails are a big clue. So are the nail holes. A second set of holes or holes of the wrong shape or size could mean the panel has been removed and the mirror replaced or resilvered.

Then take a look at how the mirror itself is held in place in the frame. Most older mirrors are held in by triangular-shaped blocks, which were glued in place with the point of the triangle facing in toward the frame and the base of the triangle sticking out toward the back panel. Look for evidence of the blocks having been moved and reglued or renailed. Many repair people, professional and amateur alike, will not even fool with the old triangular glue blocks. They just cut square blocks and nail them in or use modern metal glazier’s points, flat, diamond shaped pieces of metal driven into the frame so that it hold the glass in tightly. Flat metal glazier’s points are 20th century technology, so they cannot be original to a 19th century mirror.

Finally, examine the glass itself. Make sure it is consistent with other glass in the piece if there is any and see if it matches the glass in other pieces from the same period. Keys points to compare are the color, is it clear or does it have a greenish tint, the number of seeds or imperfections and the clarity of individual panes of glass. Different glass-making techniques from different periods leave their own distinctive patterns of distortion in the glass, and if you know the patterns you can tell the age, more or less, of the glass.

Glass made prior to the 19th century was called crown glass, made by spinning a disk of molten glass until it was more or less flat. Crown glass has a circular swirl pattern in it from the spinning motion. Glass from the 19th century was mostly cylinder glass, made by swinging a blown bubble of molten glass rather than spinning it. Swinging the glass produced a cylinder which was cooled, scored down one side and reheated. As it reheated it laid itself out in more or less flat sheet. Cylinder glass has an evenly distributed mottled, dimply distortion pattern. Early 20th-century glass was pulled from the kiln and passed between iron rollers to flatten it. That produced the parallel wavy lines of distortion in old clear glass. Perfectly flat glass (within 1/25,000 of an inch) was perfected in the late 1950’s by pouring molten glass on a still bed of molten tin. This is called “fire polished” glass and is the most prevalent today.

Imagine yourself comfortably wiggling your toes near the fireplace or sipping java on an overstuffed couch at the local café or entertaining good friends at your home . . . while simultaneously attending the world-renowned Pilchuck Glass School black-tie gala auction at the luxurious Westin Hotel in Seattle. You could watch the gala, bid on investment-quality art glass, experience the excitement of live competition, hear the hammer fall and bask in the glow of winning . . . all in real time from anywhere in the world you happen to be.

On October 30, 2008, the Pilchuck Glass School’s 30th-annual, contemporary art-glass auction will be presented live in streaming high-definition on the Internet by Auction Network. WorthPoint Worthologist Lisa Huff will be part of the Auction Network team in Seattle.

Featuring hundreds of beautiful works from students and masters of the school founded by Dale Chihuly in 1970, this fundraiser is the art-glass event of the year. Proceeds go for student scholarships and support of the school.

The Pilchuck Glass School hosts famous resident artists and teachers from around the world. Glass masters such as Bertil Vallien (Sweden), Lino Tagliapietra (Italy), Fritz Dreisbach (U.S.), Benjamin Moore (U.S.), Dale Chihuly himself and more will have objects of art available at this auction. Pilchuck’s talented students, the masters of the future, will offer hundreds of one-of-a-kind works. This is your chance to own one of these renowned pieces that celebrities have collected for years. This auction presents your finest opportunity to invest in stunning glass art at a fraction of its near-future value.

Participating in Auction Network live bidding, or just watching the action, is free and easy. Anonymous bids placed through the site will be conveyed to the auctioneer via an Auction Network representative. Competitors on the floor and phone will compete with you.

Auction Network is the first 24/7, multimedia network solely dedicated to auctions. It celebrates the sport and competitive spirit of auctions with a fast-paced, interactive programming environment where buyers meet sellers. A preview of the 350-plus art-glass forms created by current and future masters of the craft with accompanying short biographies is available on the site. Your winning art-glass treasure(s) will be wrapped and shipped via a professional concierge service directly to your door. Be sure to register early, study the catalog, and plan your strategy.

The Pilchuck 30th-Annual Auction will be held Thursday, October 30, with auction highlights beginning at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time and auction bidding beginning 7:25 p.m.. Internet users can access and participate in the auction through Auction Network. Register now. It’s free and easy to Watch, Bid. and Win.

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Dale Chihuly has singularly defined the medium of fine art glass. His blown glass is marked by intense, vibrant color and flowing lines. Sandy Sardella, of Pismo Fine Art Glass, shows some of the beautiful and diverse Chihuly pieces in her Denver gallery.

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I found these at flea market. They looked unique. I believe they are, because I still cannot find any others. They are in perfect condition, but I would like to know if anyone has seen these before.

One of the earliest types of American made bottles used for liquor are known generically as “chestnut flasks”; they are also sometimes called “New England chestnut flasks” by collectors.  These type of bottles or flasks (hard to say which is more accurate, but I will call them flasks) were made in many sizes from a few inches tall to several gallons in capacity.

The chestnut flask shown in image #2 is a typical early American example that was most likely produced by a New England or possibly New Jersey glasshouse between 1790 and 1820s – the heyday for this style.  It is about 8″ tall, free-blown (that is, blown without the aid of a full body mold), has a blowpipe type pontil scar within a pushed up base, a crudely applied one-part lip (or “finish” in glassmaker parlance), and is medium olive green in color.  Click on the following links to view more pictures of this chestnut flask: side view; base view showing the blowpipe pontil scar.

Chestnut style flasks were almost certainly produced by most of the earliest viable American glasshouses and date as far back as the 1770s up through the 1830s.  The smallest (5″ or less) ones may have been primarily used for medicines, but medium and larger sizes were very commonly used for beverages including wine and various spirits.  Although often referred to as New England chestnut flasks, they were undoubtedly made by many different glasshouses up and down the Eastern Seaboard as it was a popular style during the noted era (McKearin & Wilson 1978).

Chestnut flasks are typically oval to a flattened oval in cross-section with an overall squatty “teardrop” shape when viewed straight on.  These flasks are free-blown typically (and thus have no mold seams in evidence) with glass tipped or blow-pipe pontil scars.  Because they are free-blown, the actual shapes are quite variable with some approaching round in cross-section to very compressed and “flask-like” on the other end of the scale. Typically the body of these flasks are about 1.5 to 2 times as wide as they are deep.  Finishes (aka “lip”) are applied and quite crude, varying much in shape and often defying simple categorization.  Occasionally, these flasks have a simple cracked-off/sheared and refired finish, but usually the finish is some type of one-part example made with applied glass that was crudely tooled to form a collar.

Colors vary with a large majority being some shade of olive green or olive amber; aqua to amber to teal blue have also been noted by this author, but are rare.  These flasks are usually very crudely formed with bubbles and ripples in the glass, flattened spots and bulges, and an overall lack of symmetry reflecting the free-blown manufacturing and early American heritage.  They usually have very light and thin glass for their size, though this is variable.  Similar bottles made in Europe go back at least to the late 17th century (McKearin & Wilson 1978; Van den Bossche 2001).

The grouping of five chestnut flasks pictured in image #1 are also likely products of the early New England glass companies although the tallest example in the group (9″ with a two-part finish instead of a one-part) may be the product of an early Pennsylvania or New Jersey glass company, as may some of the others in the grouping which range to as small as 5″ tall (McKearin & Wilson 1978).  All of these free-blown flasks share the same early manufacturing characteristics as the image #1 example and show some of the subtle range of glass colors that these bottles were made in.

American made chestnut flasks – although fairly abundant (relatively speaking considering the age of them) - are highly sought out by collectors in the U. S. as they are among the earliest utilitarian bottles known to have been made in America.

Values for American made chestnut flasks in good condition (i.e., no chips, cracks, or other post-production damage; some wear on the sides and base is typical) range from a $200-$300 to $1000 or more depending on size (very small and very large are highly desireable), color, crudity (the more the better…to a point), and condition.  Some times provenience matters in that examples known to have come from “famous” collections can demand a small premium.

For more information on the subject of bottle dating and typology – and the terminology used in the above descriptions – please consult my Historic Bottle Website at: www.sha.org/bottle/index.htm The references noted in the write-ups above are found on that sites “References” page at this link: www.sha.org/bottle/References.htm

For further information on early American bottles and flasks consult these references:

McKearin, Helen and Kenneth M. Wilson. 1978. American Bottles & Flasks and Their Ancestry. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York.

Wilson, Kenneth. 1972. New England Glass & Glassmaking. Thomas Y. Crowell Co., New York.

The internal and external surfaces of a glass bottle that has been buried (probably a majority of collectible bottles) will usually react variably to the natural chemical processes of decomposition in both water and the earth. This process of weathering is called “patination” in the archaeological world (Jones & Sullivan 1989). The results of this decomposition is a crust or other glass surface alteration with is also referred to as a “patina,” “sick glass,” or simply “stained” glass.

The term sick glass is descriptive in that the glass is sick, i.e., it is very slowly dissolving (Munsey 1970). This effect is also called – particularly by collectors – as “opalized,” “iridescence,” or “opalescence” (Tooley 1953; Kendrick 1963). There seems to be no one term that is widely accepted, although I generally refer to it as patination or staining on my Historic Bottle Website.

As examples, the two 1860s-era green soda/mineral water bottles from San Francisco, CA. (images #1-3) show the difference between a moderately stained bottle (left bottle in image #1 & image #2) and an unstained similar example (right bottle in image #1; close-up in image #3). The stained bottle (embossed D. S. & Co. / SAN FRANCISCO and dating from 1861-1864 [Markota 1994]) has a dull, semi-opaque, and relatively unattractive surface to the glass – all undesirable attributes to collectors. The unstained example (embossed PACIFIC / SODA / WORKS – CLASSEN & CO / SAN / FRANCISCO and dating from 1868-1870 [Markota 1994]) is glossy, clear (not semi-opaque), and esthetically more pleasing to the collector’s eye. In near perfect (unstained, undamaged) condition, both bottles are $75-$100+ items. However, the stained example is probably only worth $50 or so in its current condition. (Bottle values and patination are discussed more below.)

The various types of patination

Staining or patination is highly variable and unpredictable. Although glass is a highly resistant substance, it is still subject to slow corrosion by water and environmental chemicals. This is a function of the specific composition of the glass as it relates to the chemistry of the soil and water that the glass resides in, as influenced by amount of exposure or contact time (Munsey 1970).

Patination is more common in bottles with a high soda (and low lime) content. Water will gradually dissolve or leach out the soda component of the glass, leaving a coating of sodium carbonate and eventually silica behind. This process continues year after year, resulting in a buildup of very thin layers, like the rings of a tree (though without the dating opportunity that tree rings allow).

Particularly susceptible bottles or those that have been in contact with water or soil for a very long time (e.g., a 2000-year-old Roman bottle) will exhibit pitting, which is the extreme corrosion of the glass surface. (See image #4 -a 1900-year-old Roman bottle with surface pitting.) Eventually glass will corrode completely away in any environment given enough time (Kendrick 1963; Elliott & Gould 1988).

Patination & collector value

Staining or patination is not a reliable indicator of age, but bottles with high soda content – particularly machine-made items – will stain faster than those with less soda. Black glass and some other types which are apparently low in soda and high in lime will weather for a hundred years or more with little change to the glass surface (Kendrick 1963). Staining is often accelerated on bottles in contact with ashes and alkaline soils and almost non-existent, of course, with bottles that have never been buried, though even those bottles, if given thousands of years, would likely patinate.

One notable exception to the “never been buried” concept is that bottles retaining the original contents for a long period will, over time, usually experience a reaction between the internal glass surface and the contents that results in a milky “content staining” on the inside of the bottle.

Patination is usually considered desirable in many classes of antiques, if for no reason other than as an indicator of true age and authenticity. Patination can also enhance the “look” of many antiques like furniture, scrimshaw, and other items. With antique or historic bottles, however, most forms of patination are usually not a desired feature and can significantly impact value, although the effect on value is highly variable…sometimes it is desired. (For more information on patination in other classes of antiques and collectibles, see Douglass Moody’s excellent WorthPoint article on the subject: http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/patina-indicator-age-or-not)

As an example of patination on a bottle being desirable, consider the amber bottle in images #5 (entire bottle) and #6 (close-up). This is an early 20th century, machine-made, export style beer bottle used by (and embossed with) the A. GETTLEMAN / BREWING CO. / MILWAUKEE (WI.), which was in business from 1887-1961 and then became part of the massive Miller Brewing Co. This bottle – which dates from the 1910 to 1919 (National Prohibition) – exhibits the colorful and quite esthetic type of rainbow patination that collectors refer to as opalescence or iridescence. These colors are a result of the way light waves are broken up by the layers of corrosion and reflected to the eye (Munsey 1970).

The patination of this particular bottle is a result of its unique glass composition (unknown) and reaction to the alkaline (basic) soils in Arizona, where this particular bottle was excavated. Being machine-made, this bottle would generally receive minimal interest from collectors (i.e., a value of no more than about $10). However, with the lovely patination – what some collectors call “nature’s Tiffany” – the value could be $20-30+.

Another example of an esthetically pleasing patination is the bottle pictured in images #7 and #8. This bottle is embossed with ROGERS / NURSERY / HAIR LOTION and is possibly English in origin, though this particular bottle was found in one of the earlier (late 1860s) central Nevada gold camps. This bottle exhibits a spectacular profusion of blue, gold, green and purple iridescence depending on the light and holding angle of the bottle. This is probably only a $10-15 item in near “mint” – non-patinated – condition. With this level of desirable rainbow patination, the bottle is likely worth at least twice that amount.

When patination lowers bottle values

On the other end of the spectrum are the large majority of stained bottles whose the value is diminished by esthetically displeasing patination. The bottle pictured in images #9 (entire bottle) and #10 (close-up) has a more common type of patination – a milky white, opaque coating – that justifies the term “sick glass.” This particular bottle is embossed with C. CONRAD & COs. / ORIGINAL / BUDWEISER and hails from St. Louis, MO.

The product was widely shipped throughout the country as the first commercially pasteurized, bottled beer. These early export beer bottles date from between 1876 and 1882 (Toulouse 1971; Lockhart pers. comm. 2004). This type of staining is very common on the outside and inside surfaces of bottles that have been buried. One of these bottles in near “mint” condition is a $75-$125 item; the pictured example would have a value of about half to two-thirds that range.

Images #11 and #12 show a large chemical or ammonia bottle that has moderate to heavy staining on both the internal and external glass surfaces. This bottle would have minimal value regardless of whether it is in mint or stained condition, since it has no embossing and is a very common general bottle shape. As is, this bottle is of almost no value even though it dates from the 1875-1885 era.

It must be noted that bottles with staining or patination can be mechanically polished to restore the glass surfaces to a more or less original look. This is commonly done with historic bottles usually but not always enhances the value, and is something that collectors need to be aware of. That, however, is the subject of a future WorthPoint article…

There are no firm rules as to how much bottle value is diminished (or enhanced) with the presence or absence of patination. All things otherwise being equal (i.e., the bottle is physically undamaged), the value effect is dependent on the density and type of staining, the rarity or commonality of the specific bottle (very rare and desirable items may be little affected), the likelihood of the bottle responding well to mechanical cleaning, the level of pitting (if present), and many other factors.

On average, this author would guess that the average bottle with average undesirable staining is probably diminished in value by at least 15-25%. The value of historic bottles is a very complicated and slippery subject in which staining is only one element in the formula and all of which are the subject of future articles.

For more information on the subject of historic bottles – including the terminology used in the above descriptions – please consult my Historic Bottle Website (HBW) at: www.sha.org/bottle/index.htm The references noted in this article are found on the HBW’s References page at this link: www.sha.org/bottle/References.htm. For viewers unfamiliar with some of the terminology used in this article, please see the HBW’s Bottle Glossary page at www.sha.org/bottle/glossary.htm.

Patina is a natural surface tint which occurs on many objects of age. Most collectors consider patina desirable, and will pay more for an object with authentic patina.

Ivory items naturally turn slight yellow [Image #1 - Vintage whale teeth] to golden yellow [Image #2 - Antique whale tooth] through exposure to sunlight, handling (absorption of skin oil), room smoke [Image #3 - Tabua], etc. Mammoth & Mastodon tusk sections have a dark brown patina from being buried in the ground for thousands of years. Authentic patina can penetrate quite deeply into the ivory [Image #4 - Mammoth scrimshaw].

Copper, silver, bronze, tin, and other soft metal items can also gain patina with age. This is usually a type of surface oxidation caused by human handling [Image #5 - coins] & [Image #6 - silver service], exposure to air [Image #7 - outdoor bronze statue] & [Image #8 - outdoor copper statue], or submerged in the sea [Image #9 - bronze cannon].

Iron & steel can also display a decorative dark patina color from being buried in the ground [Image #10 -cannon ball]. Usually though, iron corrosion is the undesirable brown/orange rust that continues to eat-away, and may eventually destroy that item [Image #11 - rusty chain].

Stone items can also acquire patina through burial [Image #12 - arrowhead], and atmospheric exposure [Image #13 - Stonehenge].

Patina on glass items is a special case, as the amount & color can be directly related to the glass formula, length of burial, etc. [Image #18 - glass bottle]. Worthologist Bill Lindsey has written an inclusive WorthPoint article about this subject, entitled Patination and Historic Bottles.

ALL of these types of patina can be faked through the use of dyes & washes [Image #14 - faux patina tooth], or through intentional exposure of metal items in slightly acidic solutions [Image #15 - modern weather vane]. Sometimes this is obvious, and sometimes it takes a well-trained eye to reveal the forged age. For this reason, many collectors like to view items with patina intact. Patina can be a measure of age, as well as an indicator of authenticity, or NOT.

Grime, dirt, transferred oxidation, etc., are NOT patina, and are therefore not desirable. I have carefully cleaned many antique scrimshawed whale teeth, using Q-tips and denatured alcohol, to remove grime from a hundred years of handling. Natural patina is NOT effected, and the scrimshawed image can become more obvious against the naturally patina-colored background. Care must be taken to not disturb the antique ink used to accent the scribed design [Image #16 - sea turtle shell].

I have also used a clean cotton cloth with a touch of “Silvo” paste, to slightly surface-clean antique silver jewelry to reveal the natural color of the metal, and to enhance the engraved design. The residue is then buffed-off with another clean cloth. Immersion into a liquid cleaning solution will remove all of the oxidation, even in the engraving. This may be desirable for contemporary silverware & silver service in use, but usually not desirable for show pieces, like antique silver service, candlesticks, jewelry, picture frames, etc. [Image #17 - antique Sterling silver].

Remember, it is easy to clean “just a bit more”, but impossible to “undo” removed patina.

One of the easier to identify and most consistently accurate indicators that a bottle was manufactured during or prior to the American Civil War (i.e., the 1860s or before) is the pontil scar present on the base.

A pontil mark is a variably sized and type of scar left on the base of a bottle by a pontil rod. A typical pontil rod or “punte” was a long (4-6 feet) iron rod which was securely attached to the base of the just blown hot bottle. This attachment process was called “empontilling.” The rod had to be long enough so that the heat transference from the extremely hot (2000°+ F.) bottle did not reach the hands of the pontil rod holder. A pontil rod held the bottle during the steps in the bottle blowing process where the blowpipe is removed (“cracked-off”) from the bottle and that break-off point is “finished”, i.e. the lip or “finish” is completed in some fashion, with or without additional glass. (The process of “finishing” a bottle will be the subject of a future article.)

Once the bottle is “finished,” the pontil rod itself is sharply tapped which breaks it free of the bottle. The base of a bottle which was held with a pontil rod will almost always retain some evidence of the pontil rod attachment. (For more information on the production processes of making bottles, please see my “Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website” (HBW for short) at www.sha.org/bottle/index.htm . In particular see the “Glassmaking & Glassmakers” page at www.sha.org/bottle/glassmaking.htm )

Four types of pontil scars

There were four main types of empontilling methods – all of which leave more or less distinctively different base markings. These are briefly discussed below:

1. Glass-tipped pontil scar (image #1) – This type pontil scar was formed by the use of a solid iron bar as the pontil rod. One slightly widened end of the bar was tipped with molten glass then applied and fused to the base of the bottle. A glass tipped pontil rod made contact with most – or all – of the bottle base within the confines of the diameter of the pontil rod tip. When the rod was broken free of the bottle, a generally round but fragmented scar was left behind on the base.

This is usually manifested primarily by an assortment of glass fragments protruding above the base of the bottle. See image #1 which is a mid-19th century sauce bottle. In addition, the rod would usually take with it some small glass fragments from the base of the bottle leaving a scar which is a round scattering of “bumps and gouges” without a distinctly unmarred scar center – like the blowpipe pontil scar described next.

2. Blowpipe or “open” pontil scar (image #2) – This type of pontil mark – which was also called the “ring pontil” or “open pontil” – was formed when a hollow blowpipe was used as the pontil rod. It is at least as common on American made bottles as the glass tipped pontil mark (Boow 1991). Using a blowpipe for empontilling was likely done to both save on the number of tools used by the glass blower and to save time.

When a blowpipe was used as a pontil, it left behind a distinctive ring shaped scar that is usually sharp edged, hollow in the middle, and round to slightly oval with an overall diameter that is roughly the size of the bottles upper neck. This is circumstantial proof that one blowpipe was usually used for both blowing and empontilling. Image #2 shows a very large and distinct blowpipe pontil on the base of a “Jenny Lind calabash” bottle that dates from about 1850.

3. Sand pontil scar (image #3) – The sand pontil scar was also a common method of empontilling a bottle to hold it for finishing, though less common on American made bottles than the other three primary methods described here. This mark was formed when the hot glass on the flared or ball shaped tip of a solid iron pontil rod was dipped in sand (or small glass chips) prior to application to the bottle base. The sand/glass chips were apparently intended to keep the pontil rod from adhering too closely to the bottle, facilitating easier removal.

A larger connecting surface at the end of the pontil rod was necessary with this method in order to ensure an adequate adherence to the bottle base and was of particular use with the ever increasing numbers of molded bottles during the first half of the 19th century. The sand pontil apparently conformed better than other pontil types to molded base shapes without distorting it (Jones 1971; McDougall 1990).

This type of pontil can be very subtle and hard to identify at times (it is also hard to photograph). It often must be confirmed by running ones finger over the base and feeling for the presence of a finger grabbing “sandpaper effect.” It feels and visually appears to be a generally round, sparse scattering of very fine sand, glass, or quartz grains imbedded onto and into the surface glass of the base. Some have described this as an “orange peel” effect (McDougall 1990). See image #3 which shows the base of an 1830s to 1840s patent medicine (“Health Restorative”) bottle from New York.

The sand pontil will usually (though lightly) cover a much larger diameter area on the base than typically affected by the other three empontilling methods covered here (although iron pontil marks can be wide also; see the next section). The base of a sand pontiled bottle will often show some distortion made by the red hot pontil rod ball tip/head application to the bottle base which often more or less outlines the sand pontil area. The noted image shows a sand pontil with the distortion (indented slightly) made by the pontil ball tip in evidence.

4. Iron or” improved” pontil scar (image #4) – This fascinating type of pontil mark is also referred to as simply an “iron pontil” or “improved pontil.” It is also commonly referred to as a “graphite pontil.” This is erroneous as there is no graphite (carbon) associated with any improved or iron pontil mark. Apparently the term originated from the fact that the substance often looks like a graphite smear. In actuality, the residual red, reddish black, gray, or black deposits are iron, typically oxidized iron – ferric (red) and ferrous (gray, black) oxides (Toulouse 1968; McKearin & Wilson 1978).

The iron pontil scar is the result of using a bare iron pontil rod with an appropriate shaped tip or head which was heated red hot and directly applied and fused to the base of the bottle to be held. There was no glass added (like the glass-tipped pontil rod) or remaining (like using the blowpipe for a pontil) on the iron tip of this type pontil rod.

Like the other pontil rod types, this one was probably removed by sharply tapping the rod near the attachment point. The iron deposits which form the iron pontil mark are very small fragments or residue from the tip of the bare iron pontil rod itself. Image #4 is of a “gothic peppersauce” bottle from the 1850s with a classic dark gray iron pontil mark.

For more detailed information on the fascinating world of pontil marks or scars – including many more images and illustrations – check out the “Pontil Scars” page of my Historic Bottle Website at www.sha.org/bottle/pontil_scars.htm

Dating bottles with pontil scars

Pontil rods and the resultant pontil scars go back to antiquity, having been used for bottle making as early as Roman times (McKearin 1941). All of the different pontil scars noted can be found on American made utilitarian bottles that date to or before the American Civil War (mid-1860s). Pontil scars on all types of “utilitarian bottles” (discussed below) became ever increasingly unusual as the 1860s progressed and largely disappeared by the late 1860s or early 1870s as various “snap” or snap case tools dominated the task of grasping the hot bottle for finishing.

However, the transition time for conversion from the pontil rod to the snap case was lengthy. The first use of the grasping snap tool in the United States may have been in the 1840s, but its use was definitely evident by at least the early 1850s. Thus, utilitarian bottles without a pontil scar can date as early as the late 1840s to early 1850s (though rarely earlier) and pontil scars can be found – though very infrequently – on utilitarian bottles made in the late 1860s and even early 1870s

More specifically, glass tipped, blowpipe, and sand pontil marks may all be found on most all bottles dating well before bottles were even made in any quantity in the New World, i.e. before the late 18th century, and continued to be common on a large majority of bottles up until the American Civil War. Some utilitarian bottles (though a relatively small percentage) were still being produced with these pontil marks as late as the early 1870s. After that time, those types of pontil scars are very unusual and related mostly to the production of low volume “specialty” bottles (e.g., fancy liquor decanters, barber bottles).

The bare iron pontil apparently had a fairly narrow lifespan as the majority of these bottles date between about 1845 and the mid-1860s, though they can be as early as 1830s and possibly as late as the early 1870s. They are particularly common on mid-19th century soda/mineral water bottles but can be found on a wide variety of bottle types (Toulouse 1968; Watson & Skrill 1971; McKearin & Wilson 1978; Cannon 1990; Boow 1991; Van den Bossche 2001).

Pontil scars and bottle values

It is very simple to summarize the impact of pontil scars on historic bottles: pontil scars of all types enhance the value of a bottle almost without exception (and I can’t think of any exceptions). The attraction of pontil scars/marks to collectors is largely connected with the fact that the mark proves a Civil War (or earlier) heritage and is a visual, physical connection of that bottle with the primitive, craft based bottle manufacturing methods of old.

As an example of how a pontil mark affects value, consider a “Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters” bottle – one of the most common bitters bottles made during the last half of the 19th century — which may be worth $10 to $500 depending on color (plain ambers at the lower end; various shades of green – like image #5 – or black glass at the upper end of the scale). However, if that same Hostetter’s bottle has a distinct iron pontil scar the value increases at least 10-fold! (Pontiled Hostetter’s bottles are extremely rare, but do exist.) Although the spread in value usually isn’t that great, most bottles are worth significantly more if the base exhibits a pontil scar than if it does not and is “smooth” to use collector jargon.

To view the references noted in this article view the HBW “References” page at www.sha.org/bottle/References.htm
For viewers unfamiliar with some of the terminology used in the descriptions, please see the HBW “Bottle Glossary” page at www.sha.org/bottle/glossary.htm

Given for free with items such as oats, flour or laundry soap, sold at five-and-dime stores or for a nickel at “Dish Nites” at cinema halls and gas stations, this cheap, mass-produced glassware buoyed up an entire glass industry, as well as the spirits of an entire nation. Scanty meals seemed more bearable with the bright-colored glass, and the expensive-sounding pattern names, in evoking memories of happier days, held out a glimmer of hope for the future.

Paradoxically, in the immediate aftermath of the Great Depression, this glassware became a jarring reminder of painful times. Many people, as they prospered, threw it out.

No one, of course, had counted on the vagaries of the collecting world to turn it into a highly collectible, high-priced glassware, valued as much for its design as for its symbolism of triumph over adversity.

Collecting Depression glass

There are now more than 150,000 Depression-glass collectors in America. With more than 200 Depression-glass patterns to collect, not to mention a prolific industry of reproductions and fakes to sift through, these collectors have their work cut out. Newbies, as in any enterprise, should get well informed before loosening their purse strings. So—

• Buy the latest edition of Gene Florence’s well-researched, comprehensive book, “Collectors’ Encyclopedia of Depression Glass”, as well as other Depression-glass reference books, price guides and catalogs.

• Join Depression-glass collectors’ associations and clubs, visit online forums, read articles and subscribe to mailing lists. The National Depression Glass Association sends out informative newsletters, and magazines such as Reproduction News can be enlightening.

• Visit museums with Depression-glass collections, and attend Depression-glass shows and conventions. Talk to dealers, glass experts and other collectors.

• Learn about Depression-glass manufacturers and their marks. Some of the leading Depression-glass makers were Westmoreland, Heisey, Fostoria, Jeannette, Anchor-Hocking, McBeth-Evans, Hazel Atlas, Federal Glass, Indiana Glass Company and U.S. Glass.

• These manufacturers produced Art Deco, geometric or classical designs in Elegant Glass and Depression Glass. Elegant Glass, after mechanical production, was refurbished, etched and polished by hand. Depression Glass wasn’t. Some of the most popular patterns were Avocado, Royal Lace, Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess, Cherry Blossom, Sharon, Patrician, Madrid, Moderntone, Windsor, Adam, Sierra, Diana, Waterford, Columbia, Miss America, Iris and Herringbone and Rosemary.

• Depression glass came in different transparent colors such as crystal, pink, amber, blue, green, yellow, red, orange, lavender, iridescent, black and white. There were also some opaque patterns and pieces decorated with gold, platinum and even colored enamel.

• Depression glassware included plates, tumblers, bowls, cups and saucers, decanters, vases, candlesticks, lamps and so on.

• Learn how to recognize authentic Depression glass, determine condition, to detect chips and cracks.

Once you know what’s what, we come to the “Okay, so where do I buy it?” part, and you can take your pick from flea markets, church bazaars, garage sales, antique shops, classified-newspaper ads, estate auctions and online auctions. Or try all of these.

Prices depend on glassware type, design pattern and color, manufacturer, rarity, location of sale and demand from collectors. There is no hard-and-fast pricing.

Tips for Collectors—

Finding pieces to complete a set can be challenging. Many original pieces are difficult or impossible to find on the market nowadays. Or, if available, are expensive. Rare items include butter dishes, serving pieces, lids, cobalt-blue mixing bowls, refrigerator dishes, measuring cups and canisters. Also hard to find are the Shirley Temple cereal bowls, mugs and milk pitchers.

Scratches and nicks are inevitable in regularly used Depression glassware. Even so, avoid buying severely nicked or flawed glass.

Examine each piece carefully before buying. If buying online, ask seller to list all visible flaws, and make sure there’s a money-back guarantee.

Sound like hard work? Not really, and besides, these collectibles are worth any effort you expend.

Other stories by Sonal Panse:

Antiques, Art & Collectibles Auction Ploys

Finding Art & Collectibles in All the Right Places

Paperweight Collectibles Find a Following

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