From the
American Brilliant Period, we offer this gorgeous Imperial
Glass Company clear, Nu-Cut crystal
spoon dish in pattern number 536,
circa 1915. Measures 7 1/2 inches long. Good condition. No chips or
cracks but has some rough edges on the sawtooth rim (must have had lots
of spoons utilizing the dish over the years!).
From Evers' Standard Cut Glass Value Guide (1995 Values), this piece was identified on page 131
with a value of $75 - $90. We offer our vintage used dish for $45.00!
American
Brilliant Period History: "Although glass making was the first industry to
be established in America at
Jamestown, Virginia
in 1608, no glass is known to have been cut in the New
World until at least 160 years later. Henry William Stiegel, an
immigrant from Cologne, Germany, founded the American Flint Glass
Manufactory in Manheim, Pennsylvania,
and it was there in about 1771 that the first cut glass was produced in America. For
the next sixty years the "Early Period" of American cut glass, our
wares were virtually indistinguishable from English, Irish and continental
patterns, and little wonder, for most of the cutters originally came to this
new country from Europe. About 1830 which historians label the beginning of the
"Middle Period" American ingenuity and originality began to influence
the industry, and a national style began to develop. This came into full flower
about the time our country was preparing to celebrate her hundredth birthday
and what is now termed the "Brilliant Period" began. From about 1876
until the advent of World War 1, American cut glass craftsmen excelled all
others worldwide, and produced examples of the cut glass art that may never
again be equaled." American Brilliant Period Cut Glass, 1876 - 1917 by
John, C. Roesel
Martha
Louise Swan adds, "Some manufacturers made their own blanks and cut them, even
while selling blanks to various cutting shops. Not all cut glass from
around the turn of the century was equally fine. Some companies specified
degrees of excellence. Pitkin Brooks of Chicago sold three grades of
glass: P & B, their finest, hand-finished grade; Standard, "superior to 75 percent of cut glass manufactured in the country;" and Imported,
made in large quantities to Pitkin & Brooks specifications, "superior to
the product of some American Manufacturers. On toward 1920, quality
declined. Due to scarcity of ingredients during World War I, and to a
change in taste from the pre-war luxurious lifestyle to a more sober,
simplified reality, glassware was thinner and designs less ornate. During the
past twenty-five years, as a growing appreciation of the superiority of
American Brilliant Period glass has led to collecting these artistic treasures,
prices have risen greatly. As pieces are broken or placed in museums, remaining article become more precious." House of Brilliant Glass.
Kat
Krivda, from the Early American Pattern Glass Society pattern identification
team, explained regarding pattern identification on this piece, "Few of the
pattern glass manufacturers assigned a name to a specific pattern number. It
wasn't until later, when folks
started collecting EAPG that pattern names were attached...mostly by the
collector. So, some of the patterns for Nucut have had a name attached, and
some, like pattern number 536, that were made in only a few pieces, did not."