Blue Blackberry Wreath

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BLUE - BLACKBERRY WREATH

Blue Blackberry Wreath Sauce

This familiar pattern found on 10-11” bowls, as well as 7-7 ½” bowls and sauces in the 5-6” sizes could be termed one of the basic Millersburg patterns. It must have been an excellent seller, because both satin and radium finish examples are found. No record of the small size blue bowls is found in previous written accounts of this pattern.

None of the designs from this famous company are in abundant supply, but Blackberry Wreath can be found in the customary amethyst, green and marigold, without much difficulty.

If you are looking for a large example in the coveted blue, then perhaps your search will take a bit longer, and in many cases, the shade of blue will be on the light side away from cobalt, with perhaps a bit too much silver in the iridescence. None-the-less, these are always quite desirable and on the rare side, as well. These can be IC shape , ruffled, square, or have the 3/1 edge, so far as shape is concerned.

A 7 ” size IC shaped blue base bowl was found at an auction in the Topeka area in recent years. It is shown on page 16 of the Doty Field Guide. His account of the pattern indicates one known 7” marigold rosebowl, one green 8” plate, three spittoons in marigold and one in amethyst. A couple of chop plates are also known.

The 5 ¾” blue ruffled sauce shown above, seems to be the only one known. This is its debut’. The base color is intense, having wonderfully colorful iridescense. This was recently purchased on the north side of Indianapolis from a couple who had inherited it in a boxful of items from an uncle’s estate. The uncle had lived all his life in the Cleveland area and this was the only piece of Carnival Glass the man owned. As John Rogers would say, “We sold the front 40 to pay for it.” Absolutely amazing, is the fact that after all these years of intense search by so many interested buyers, we can still, on occasion; locate a “first known” desirable piece!

Dean & Diane Fry……written…...April, 2003

UPDATE

Another BLACKBERRY WREATH Sauce in Blue!

Blue IC Shape BLACKBERRY WREATH Sauce

Experience is a masterful teacher and on the subject of Carnival Glass; more than once over the years, it has been borne out that if you are fortunate enough to locate “the only one known” in any shape, color, pattern or size, the status usually is quite short lived!

So it is with our ruffled sauce shown above.

The brochure for the Wroda Auction of Nov. 12-13, 2004 arrived with news of this ice cream shaped Blackberry Wreath 5” bowl in blue. There was much attractive glass on the list, and a couple of the pieces we were interested in pursuing, so plans were made to attend and take pictures of items to be shown in coming segments for the 101 site!

Bidding was fast and furious for the little blue sauce! Several people in attendance were interested in securing the bowl and there were mail bids, as well, to purchase this very rare little bowl. Successful bid was $3000.

Reportedly, much of the glass in this auction had been in the hands of a longtime collector in upstate Ohio who had not traveled much in the circles of known collectors. Her vast collection was being sold to settle her estate.

Now we wonder how long it will be before another of these small Millersburg beauties in blue rises to the surface?

NOTE: Ice cream shape and ruffled 10” bowls in blue turn up once in awhile. The base glass, more often than not, is a very pale shade of blue, and the iridescence can be rather lack-lustre. Price results are usually less than might be expected.

The motto of the San Diego Carnival Club is: Iridescence Is the Essence!

Profound as it sounds, reality surrounds it!

Dean & Diane Fry - 12/04