Imperial Water Sets

The fantastic examples in this segment make the mouth water for ownership of one each! Nothing is any more spectacular than great Imperial purple, their pumpkin marigold, with an example of Teal for added glamour! Blue Imperial is “something to behold”!


CHESTERFIELD Pitcher in RARE Red. $12,000. April '07 Wroda Sale. 2 Tumblers - $2700. ea.	CHESTERFIELD Tumbler, 6. 5 in. high.

CHESTERFIELD Tumbler - Teal.	CHESTERFIELD Tumbler-white - 5.25 in. tall x 2.25 in. base.

CHESTERFIELD: This pattern is #600 in terms of Imperial product. A term “Colonial Stretch” is not correct terminology when discussing these items. There are rose bowls, candlesticks, a small compote, lemonade mug, open salt, stemmed sherbet and a handled toothpick holder which claim this pattern name. Some of those shapes are displayed in other segments on this site.

None are readily available. Anyone who follows the gamut of glass offerings from one auction to another during the course of any given year will attest to the scarcity of examples within this pattern.

CRABCLAW: Geometric in design, as many Imperial patterns are, this one would be quite spectacular in purple, but alas, none are known. Marigold is the only known color. While the water set is not considered rare, it really is not very plentiful as compared to other patterns. The tumblers have a ground base rather than a collar base. Master berry bowls, small matching bowls and a very rare marigold cruet missing its stopper are the only other shapes known in the pattern.

FIELDFLOWER Water Pitcher: Of the patterns described in this segment, Fieldflower is the lone example found only on water sets. While this is one of three floral designs used on Imperial Glass, no other shapes carry this lovely pattern.

While a milk pitcher has been discussed by previous authors over the years, with reported colors of marigold, purple and clambroth; we must in all honesty, say that in our more than 30 years of traveling back and forth across the Country to and from carnival glass auctions, also stopping in towns all along the way, many times over; we have yet to see or handle such a pitcher. We have been accumulating milk pitchers in various patterns for many years, presently owning 6 different patterns, so should one such example in any color have presented itself, we would have taken notice!

The 32 oz. and large pint size (milk) Four-Seventy-Four are shown on the same page with the Beaded Acanthus milk pitcher (large pint) in Catalog 104A. The 39oz. Fieldflower pitcher is on the facing page, without an accompanying (milk) size. These are all shown in Pressed Crystal. This leads us to believe that there was no pint size mold for Fieldflower.

Vintage Fieldflower water pitchers are known in marigold, purple, and smoke. (Please click on ~~

~~ in our Alphabet List to see a lovely purple set).

OPTIC and BUTTONS: Many of the 14 or so shapes documented in carnival glass carry the Imperial Cross trademark used in previous production of their non-iridized crystal designs. The water pitchers are known in marigold and clambroth, along with tumblers in two styles, but they are virtually never offered for sale and should be considered scarce-rare. One style has straight sides, while the other is somewhat taller with a widely flared rim.

SODA GOLD: A 1929 Butler Brothers Wholesale catalog, along with another dated October 1930 display this design in a non-iridized form. Since the Console set, chop plate and salt and pepper shakers are the only other shapes within the iridized spectrum and those are only known in marigold and smoke, we might assume that production was brief, along with being fairly late in the carnival glass era. All items are considered scarce.

TIGER LILY: Originally listed in Imperial factory catalogs as their #484, one of their intaglio designs. Marigold and helios water sets are not too difficult to locate. Purple sets are wonderfully attractive and seldom are offered for public sale. With their splendid multicolor iridescence, prices can be quite astounding! Cobalt tumblers are known, but no matching pitchers have been reported.

A Tiger Lily Variant of Riihimaki origin offers a tumbler which is about ¼” shorter than the Imperial version. That tumbler carries a hobstar-like design with a central, raised button in its base. There is a matching pitcher. These sets were made in the late 1920s-1930s. They are known in marigold and blue. You may see these items by going to our segments on Riihimaki Glass, listed on the left side of our homepage.


Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. --- Ephesians 4:32 Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life. Although Cornelius was a Gentile, he worshiped God. He came to trust Christ for salvation. (Acts 10: 1-2) Lydia, a seller of purple cloth, was the first person on European soil to embrace Christ as Savior. (Acts 16:14)