Aurora Pearls Bowls

Carnival Glass 101 | home Quick Reference to Carnival Glass Patterns on This Site

More Great Carnival Glass Articles!

Aurora Pearls Bowls

AURORA PEARLS Bowls

AURORA PEARLS 11 inch Bowl - sold for $500

at the San Diego - Sou. Ca. Conv. Auction - 2005 - Seeck

Over the course of 2005 and 2006, at least one of these bowls appeared in a number of carnival glass auctions conducted by our experienced auctioneers. All of the ones we have handled appear to have been made recently. In that regard, we refer to the absence of scratches, nicks, or any signs of wear in the delicate painted designs. They are also for sale from time to time on eBay.

During one of the Wroda sales, in 2005, Dean asked of Larry Yung, who has dealt in antiques for more than 30 years, what he thought about them? Larry's instant response: “I see them all over Cincinnati”. Larry and Mary Yung have collected prize carnival glass for as long as we have known them; more than 30 years. His regard is much the same as ours. Although these bowls are iridized, they do not fall into the carnival glass category, but that of art glass.

Whenever we have seen these bowls, Dean has photographed them. Some are plain on the base, others have a pontil mark.

Lynda Grizzle put us in touch with a knowledgeable gentleman who maintains a site surrounding his beloved Loetz glass. Alfredo Villaneuva is a Professor who studies and researches fine art glass, having an extensive collection of Dugan, as well. He concentrates on collecting vases, commenting that these large Bride's Baskets require too much space to collect.

Alfredo did, however agree to pass along his “findings” in the area of manufacture. We shall pass those along to our viewers for their consideration. He also lists suggestions to follow in your determination of origin and age.

01. For a bowl to be Loetz, or generally Czech, it should have a polished pontil.

02. A rough pontil is an indication of Harrach or British origin.

03. It pays to find out if they are being reproduced in the present, for export, by either China or Eastern European countries. There is a fake Loetz coming out of the Czech Republic that can fool almost anyone!

04. British and Czech companies used pearly white glass extensively, particularly Kralik.

05. The bottoms of the bowls tell more than the tops. In my Czech Glass world, any inscribed signature is worthless. Czech glass is 99% unsigned. Pieces after WWI are marked with a provenance, that is, they say Czechoslovakia. In fact, Austria is the wrong mark!

06. If British or Czech, they belong to the 1880s - early 1900s, so they predate carnival by a long shot.

07. Depending on how they are put together, they might be new. However, the first one I saw in a picture, the one Lynda sent me is definitely Rindskopf. What I am afraid of: suddenly they are all over at high prices because there is a market for them! Where are they coming from?

08. I suggest that in redirecting your research, check out Robert Truitt's first volume on Bohemian Glass. It has an extensive section on Harrach. Check out books on Bride's Baskets, technically, because they have a metal frame, but they are the same bowls. Of course, many might even be Victorian American.

09. I have done research on Czech glass for a longtime relying on my guts, not my brain, and of course, “the all-seeing eye.”

10. This is what I suggest: Turn all of your bowls over. I bet you will find:

1. Smooth bottoms

2. Bottoms with a broken, rough pontil,

3. Bottoms with a polished pontil. (I saw one through the photo you sent me. That's a Rindskopf Pepita! This classifies it as Rubina Verde.

4. Bottoms with an etched star (I also saw one of them through the glass.)

Then, I'd classify, separating:

Opalescents

Clear to flashed (like the Rindskopf)

Types of decoration. Does the same decoration appear on different bowls?

Then: go through books and websites on Czech, American and British glass, and look carefully at vases. Do you find any pieces that match or resemble the bowls? One has to keep in mind this type of merchandise is typically Victorian, and still very collectible. I can tell you that I have seen Rindskopf and Kralik ruffled dishes decorated like these bowls. Another thing: Blanks were bought and decorated elsewhere, which only complicates matters. For example, you could have a Czech vase decorated in this country, just as I have Czech vases with British hallmarked silver rims.

I'll bet there are new pieces, just as I am certain there are many old pieces out there, all mixed up.

Note from Diane: In Essence: If you like it, buy it! If you have time to spend at a library to determine what you have, that expensive bowl may develop into the genuine article, or it could have just been dropped off a recent boat from China. We have seen them go for $500-$800. Perhaps the buyer had performed the necessary research prior to the auction sale?


12 in. AURORA PEARLS Bowl-Polished Pontil - Austrian - Bohemian Origin - possibly Loetz	12 in. AURORA PEARLS with oil spot exterior and a polished pontil. Cranberry to smoke.$400.- 11-12-05 Wroda.

Hmm! Looks like an AURORA PEARLS of a different breed!	AURORA PEARLS - 12 inch

AURORA PEARLS - 12.5 inch	AURORA PEARLS by Rindskopf

AURORA PEARLS	Many of these AURORA PEARLS 12 in. Bowls are available at Carnival Glass auctions and over Internet since early 2005!

This AURORA PEARLS Bowl with painted DAISIES in Bride's Basket is signed Austria.	12 inch AURORA PEARLS with new-like handle!

RUBINA VERDE14 in. enameled bowl -CRE-$385. Burns Auction-ACGA Conv. 2005.	RUBINA VERDE with Enameling