Carnival Glass 101 | home Quick Reference to Carnival Glass Patterns on This Site
Imperial Glass - Part 15
IMPERIAL - Part 15
Left - Exterior HEAVY GRAPE VT. - 7.25 in. diam. C. Philip Burton.
Right - Interior - HEAVY GRAPE VARIANT.
Base and side view of HEAVY GRAPE Variant.
HEAVY GRAPE VARIANT Bowl, Marigold: There seems to be no question about the difference in edge treatment and the absence of “quilting” on the exterior of this bowl, as compared to the Heavy Grape with quilting. The central grape design is the same on both pieces.
Eight inch HEAVY GRAPE VT. Plate - Purple - Courtesy Philip Burton.
HEAVY GRAPE Vt. Plate, Purple: While there are no visible quilting marks on this piece, the outer edge scallop appears as it does on those with twelve-sided effect having the quilted design. Philip Burton believes it to be the Variant. How do you feel about this? ……….Always something new under the “carnival umbrella, hm?”
HEAVY GRAPE Berry Set - brushed on iridization. Courtesy J & C Curtis.
Large Heavy Grape Berry Bowl - brushed on irid. Courtesy J & C Curtis.
Small Heavy Grape Berry Bowl - brushed on irid. Courtesy J & C Curtis.
Exteriors Heavy Grape Large and Small Berry Bowls -
brushed on irid. Courtesy J & C Curtis.
HEAVY GRAPE Berry Set: Curtis’ have owned this set since the late 1980s, having purchased it in an Oklahoma City auction. They discussed it during a HOACGA Convention presentation, with Frank M. Fenton in attendance. Following a question and answer session, he examined the set and related the following story to the audience:
“Many of the glassworkers of that era were a very independent lot. However, due to their job skills, they were very much in demand. If a worker were to become disgruntled with his job, his boss, or working conditions, or if he were to have run awry of the local law, he would simply pack up his suitcase and move on down the road to another glass factory where he knew he would have no difficulty in being hired. One such employee from the Imperial Factory appeared at the Fenton Factory seeking employment. He came bearing news of a new process the Imperial Company was experimenting with that involved brushing on, rather than spraying the iridizing solution prior to firing. As you can see, the process worked very well indeed, but must have proven to be too labor intensive as it was not used beyond the experimental stage.”
Frank took one of the small bowls back to the Fenton Factory and verified the treatment was indeed brushed onto clear glass stock, probably in an effort to clear the overstocked shelves of clear glass examples and move it to the retail market where it would sell much more quickly with the iridized treatment. He used some sort of spectra-scope where he said the brush strokes are clearly defined on the surface of the glass. He further stated that due to the labor intensiveness of the process, he doubted there were too many pieces marketed using this process.
As the individual bowls are examined, it becomes obvious they were brushed or daubed with the iridizing dope, rather than having been sprayed. The photo showing the exterior, clearly displays the “applied amethyst” coloring, while the interior of the large bowl offers a more marigold sprayed application of color. Jerry and Carol say the interior of the small bowls appear to have more blue coloration. The overall treatment of these pieces would involve two firings.
ZIPPERED HEART Berry Set. 9-10 in. and 5 in. Bowls.
ZIPPERED HEART Large Berry Bowl - Exterior.
ZIPPERED HEART: Purple and marigold are the only reported colors in this pattern. The ruffled berry set, comprised of a 9”-10” bowl and six 5” counterparts are the most available shapes, although these are rarely found. Imperial catalogs gave it the number #292. Other known shapes in this elusive pattern: Queen’s vase in purple and emerald, Giant rose bowl in emerald, 5” rose bowl in marigold and a 5” vase in marigold. These 4 items are quite rare.
Dean & Diane Fry, 10/10
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God,
Who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
Nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
Shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans8:31-39)
Should you care to contact the Frys, their email address is:
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