Carnival Glass 101 | home Quick Reference to Carnival Glass Patterns on This Site
Punch Sets - Part 1
PUNCH SETS - Part 1
For decades antique cut-glass dishes, bowls and vases have added sparkling glamour to tables around the world! In the U.S., cut glass was popular from about 1880 to 1920, a time known for its distinctively deep cut crystal. That period in history is also referred to as the “brilliant period of cut glass”. By the end of the 19th century, the glass had become known as “rich-cut”, giving an air of prestige to every piece. Fine glass companies produced abundant glassware ---from punch bowls to salt cellars. Punch bowls/sets were the most expensive because of costs involved in production. Several strong hands held bowls to a cutting wheel while a cutter expertly and precisely guided each swipe of the blade. The slightest slip could ruin weeks of work.
Rich-cut glass, from the brilliant period, was collected as artwork in many American households. Even small dishes, placed on a shelf or tabletop to reflect the sun, sparkled like diamonds. Lead, added to the molten glass, and deep intricate cuts produced the characteristic brilliant refraction of light that made this glass a commercial success.
Collectors of today prize marked pieces; the more elaborate the cutting, the more collectible the piece. Don't confuse less expensive pressed glass with cut glass. Manufacturers of pressed glass mimicked the patterns of cut glass, but pressed glass is easy to distinguish by its visible mold lines.
Many of the Millersburg and Imperial cut designs have the characteristics of earlier cut glass. As prices for the original true cut glass increased, public desire for a less expensive substitute created the impetus which led to production of “similar” designs found in pressed glass.
To keep any antique glass sparkling, use mild soap and slightly warm water; wipe the rinsed glass dry with a soft cloth. Never put antique glass in a dishwasher! This same cleaning method is best used for our Carnival Glass, as well. A drop or two of household ammonia placed in the water will remove even the most stubborn accumulation of dirt, with the aid of a trusty vegetable brush. Harsh cleansers, such as Comet and Silver Polish can leave deposits which, over time, will cause depletion of the sprayed-on iridescence, ultimately destroying the value and beauty of this antique glassware we all take pride in.
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BROKEN ARCHES Punch Set appearing in the
Imperial Catalog #104A. |
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BROKEN ARCHES Punch Set in Imperial Purple at its best!!
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Purple BROKEN ARCHES -
Mid-Spring 1911
Butler Bros. Catalog ad.
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BROKEN ARCHES Punch Set -Marigold
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BROKEN ARCHES: was displayed in crystal form in a 1927 Sears Roebuck Catalog. A polished crystal ad was included in the Imperial Catalog #104A. It also was designated as number Snap 14 in some Imperial factory catalogs! The set was offered in dark iridescent form in a Spring 1911 Butler Brothers Wholesale Catalog. Some of the dark pieces are quite silvery by collector standards, while others are supremely brilliant in the familiar multicolor iridescence. Marigold and purple are the standard colors in this rather elusive punch set.
STORK in RUSHES Punch Set in Purple.
STORK in RUSHES: Wholesale catalogs from 1915 through 1922 displayed this pattern, designating this design to be a Diamond Glass Co. creation. Many of this extensive carnival line of 16 different items remain available today, although limited to two or three colors. The punch sets are known only in marigold and amethyst and do not require use of the Summer Days vase as a base pedestal. This set, comprised of the bowl and matching cups was an innovation and departure AWAY from previous use of bases to support the punch bowl. Diamond Glass broke tradition with this lovely set. Let's give them a round of applause for leading the way into the roaring twenties with “something new and different”!
*For more on Stork in Rushes pattern, please click on - 
- in our pattern alphabet-homepage.
- in our pattern alphabet-homepage. |
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| HOBSTAR & FEATHER Punch Set |
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| HOBSTAR and FEATHER-FLEUR De LIS Interior |
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HOBSTAR & FEATHER in Tulip Top-Amethyst
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HOBSTAR and FEATHER: Certainly this lovely pattern from Millersburg Crystal production made a successful entry into the iridized field of endeavor!
A December 1909 Butler Brothers catalog ad displays the punch set available in crystal or “allover fired golden iridescent finish.”
Collectors will attest to the delight when one of these sets becomes available in any auction. The flared style of bowl is known in amethyst, green and marigold. Green is most difficult to find. Not all bowls are found to have matching color bases, however! Bowls with plain interior are found more often than those with the Fleur De Lis interior design. The bowl having a Tulip Top is quite rare indeed, with only one iridized amethyst example known.
Fewer than six punch bases in vaseline are known, with no bowls or cups reported. One punch cup in blue sold at auction in 1991.
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WHIRLING STAR -
(Vintage) Imperial
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WHIRLING STAR Pattern from Imperial appeared in April 1912 Butler Bros. Wholesale Catalog.
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WHIRLING STAR Vintage: Was Imperial's #555 pattern. Primarily produced in non-iridized crystal, it was originally part of the Nucut line. Rarely does an iridized example present itself. The banquet size set has been reported in marigold only and can be considered quite rare! This pattern is also known in marigold ruffled bowls 9”-11” in size, along with a marigold stemmed compote. Perhaps helios examples are known as well?
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IG marked WHIRLING STAR
Punch Set in Green. |
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WHIRLING STAR 13.5 in. tall on base, 13.75 in. diam. opening, 6 in. deep. IG Marked
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Whirling Star Reproduced: Extensive production in the late 1960s and early 1970s included the IG trademark worked into the pattern, slightly up the side of the bowl, away from the collar base. The IG can be somewhat difficult to find. You may even find lamps made from these reproduced sets. The base served as the lamp base, with the huge punch bowl inverted to form the shade.
Dean & Diane Fry - 01-07
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Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die):
Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches---
Feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.
-----Proverbs 30: 5-9
(The Hebrew word translated “pure” in Proverbs 30:5 was used of gold that had been purged and refined.)
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Should you care to contact the Frys, their email address is:
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