These types of pieces are quite rare and perhaps not production items. There is a chance that they were taken home by workers to practice or hone their engraving skills – so it very well might be one of a kind. This is the second one I’ve had signed Hawkes and I just love the whimsy of each one.
The scene of this pen or butter tray is of a winding path which weaves it’s way through a fence all the way up to a valley. The water is surrounded on all sides by hills and a large tree juts up to cover the upper half of the piece. The border features hexahedrons filled with fan. The scene is framed by notching.
The blank of this piece is surprisingly thick and significantly juts out a the bottom where the framing miter is. It’s signed Hawkes at one end (which is where my other was signed). The tray is in perfect condition and measures 6″ long, 2 1/2″ wide and 2 1/2″.
This flower center is cut in Libbey’s own variation of the Ellsmere pattern. This is the better of the two and can also be seen on this plate that I’m offering. The flower center is signed very faintly on the base with the Libbey-saber logo.
Deeply cut hobstars surround the entire perimeter of the vase. They are flanked on either side by crosshatching and a fan spreading towards the base of the flower center. The signature portion of this pattern is featured on the upper bout – it features Libbey’s signature notched prism with crosshatching at the base. Dividing four pillars of the crosshatching is a thick band of triple miter cane! The neck features a huge lapidary ring and the rim is swirled – which is a great departure from the far more typical Libbey rim treatment. The base is finished with an enormous rayed star.
This gorgeous piece is in perfect condition with only some minor scratching at the base. It measures a very large 10″ wide and just under 7″ tall. The blank is crystal clear and the quality of what you would expect from Libbey. A gorgeous example that stands out much more than the far more common Empress flower center.
This bowl is shown in the Gorham archives as cut by the Imperial company. It is wood wheel polished to silky, silvery perfection. The pierce rim is large, highly detailed and impressive.
The pattern of the bowl is similar to Argo by Empire but better. A large, well-done 24-point hobstar fills the center of this piece. The exterior of the pattern features very deeply cut hobstars that have crosshatching above and below each one. These hobstars are separated on both sides by a combination of hobnail and cain. The awesome silver rim features very detailed flowers and pierced portions. It’s also monogramed with three initials and marked by Gorham.
At one point in time, the rim was creased in approximately 3 places. I’m not sure how this has happened, but the silver is completely sturdy and secure and most of the crease lines are on the underside of the bowl, not at the top. The last photo shows the worst of the crease marks. Including the silver, the bowl is 10 3/4″ wide and 4″ tall and in otherwise perfect condition.
This wonderful pitcher features a wide variety of motifs in a beautiful arrangement. The pattern reminds me of some C.F. Monroe work, but I don’t see it in the catalogs. This pattern is nearly identical to Niagara’s Oregon pattern except that instead of a band of Russian cutting under the hobstar, it has a band of hobnail.
The first thing I notice when I look at this pitcher is that the central portion of the hobstars have 5-miters for every point. I have only ever seen this on top-quality pieces and this piece is no exception. Two giant hobstars adorn the flank of the pitcher and are separated by a draped banner of hobnail. In between that portion of the pattern is a split vesica of crosshatching topped with a smaller hobstar. There is also some notched prism connecting the two portions of the pattern. The handle is triple notched and the base is finished with a 24-point hobstar.
This pitcher is on a gorgeous blank and in perfect condition. It measures. Again, this piece is really of great quality and that is evidenced by the wide variety of motifs and the 5-mitered hobstar center – I dare you to find a piece with that that isn’t great!
This is a lovely vase by Tuthill. It is signed on the base with the Tuthill trademark. The vase is footed with a very elegant shape with neck pinch and rim flair.
I believe the name of this design is Phlox. Gorgeous engraved flowers dangle from arching borders – the flowers are filled in with crosshatching. These borders are filled with seven small circles and topped with a viney border. In between each flower is a silvery medallion with additional draping foliage. The base is engraved with more of the vines and three small circles with leaves.
The vase is in perfect condition with only some minor scratches to the base. The blank is very clear and measures 9 3/4″ tall and 5″ wide.
This incredible pair of candlesticks were cut in Libbey’s Empress set. The exact pieces are shown prominently in the Libbey reprint catalog and several trade-advertisements. Both pieces are signed at the top on the candleholder of the pattern.
The first thing you notice about these candlesticks is that they’re completely hollow! It’s amazing that they achieved this elegant form in this manner. The petticoat bases are cut with flat Libbey-style hobstars. Fluting and notching covers the next pinched portion of the stick and meets a long center portion of notched prism. The notched prism eventually runs into more fluting and notching and the holder portion of the stick has punties and crosshatching. The rims flair a little more and have little tiny serration around their perimeter.
The candlesticks are in excellent condition with just one of the sticks having two of the tinniest nicks (barely there) at the rim and base. They measure and are on very clear blanks.
This a rare and gorgeous pattern by the L. Straus company. The Unique pattern may be the most appropriately named pattern in cut glass. Three major motifs swirl in a comet type pattern that displays perfectly.
The three main motifs on those bowl are crosshatching, Russian, and a panel of rayed stars. Each of these panels is separated on either side by notched prism and very tiny zipper cutting. The center of the bowl is covered with a very brilliant 32-point hobstar.
The bowl is very heavy and brilliant and measures 9 3/8″ wide and 4 1/8″ tall. The blank is very clear and the bowl is beautifully wood-wheel polished. It is in good condition but has three or four flake chips in the mitres of the piece. They are not distracting or large, but are present. The rim of the bowl is perfect.
This is a lovely roseglobe in Dorflinger’s Lorraine pattern. It’s an old piece of Brilliant Period glass and is wood wheel polished to that silky finish we all grow to love.
The Lorraine pattern’s main motif involves a fan featuring an alternating variety of cutting. In order, there is fan, crosshatching and zipper topped with additional crosshatching. Please note that the crosshatching is very fine coming to a point on top rather than just perpendicular miters and flat on top. Each one of these main fanned pannels is separated by an intersection of crosshatching with fans on either side of the cross. The base is finished in a gorgeous Dorflinger-style 16-point hobstar.
The blank is of perfect clarity and the piece is in perfect condition with no flaws. Lorraine is a pattern that lets the quality of glass peak for itself and comes of as classic in nature. The roseglobe measures 6″ wide and 5 1/8″ tall.
This is a downright incredible piece of glass. Made by the Durand company in the rock crystal styling of the Brilliant Period, it is nothing short of impressive. The top was made by Gorham and the exact piece is pictured in the new Gorham catalog produced by the ACGA.
Five huge, protruding tusks were cut in a very thick blank to make this form. On each of the tusks is a deeply carved iris. The detail and depth are first rate. The sterling lid has swirled roses that coincide with the tusks on the inkwell. The inkwell is on a slight pedestal and finished with a fanned base.
The inkwell is in perfect condition and measures 5″ wide and 4 1/2″ wide. It’s quite heavy and on a thick, clear blank. There is no other feeling like holding a great piece of rock crystal and your hands and this piece certainly accomplishes the feeling and look of great glass. Add to it that it has great silver and it’s a combination nearly impossible to beat.
This piece is nothing short of impressive. It takes everything we love about a great squat vase to another level. First, the blank is massively thick weighing a whopping 8 lb 13 oz. At the rim, as a product of both the way it’s cut and the actual thickness, the rim is nearly 1″ thick. The diameter is also quite large – measuring 8″ wide. Think about an 8″ bowl and now imagine a vase being that wide!
The Columbia pattern displays particularly well on an upright piece. Rather than just hobstars, they alternate a cluster of hobstars into the pattern. Nine flat hobstars surround a larger flat hobstar in one large cluster. This cluster is flanked on either side by the signature advanced curved zipper band featured in the Columbia pattern. The other portion of the pattern features two large, deep hobstars stacked on one another. The neck of the piece is finished with step cutting and the upper teeth are enormous and fluted. The base is finished with an enormous 24-point hobstar.
This is one of those pieces that just cannot be translated in photos. It is 7 7/8″ tall and 8″ wide. It’s a very large piece that must have started as an enormous glob of glass. To hold it is to appreciate it.
This is an extremely stylized bowl by Tuthill in a very rare pattern that I’ve only ever seen twice. It is signed Tuthill and is on a very thick, heavy blowout blank.
The deep intaglio engraving swirls around the entire bowl. Each pocket of the blowout blank contains a deeply carved flower. The rest of the pattern is a swirling, deeply engraved band which envelope each flower. Coming off of each swirl is a small flower/branch. The center of the bowl has an incredibly deep, large 12-petal flower.
The blank is very heavy and thick with a great amount of relief carved away with the engraving. The edge is finished much like Tuthill does on their Wood Lilly design. The bowl is in perfect condition and measures 9″ wide and 3 1/4″ tall.
This lovely tazza compote is cut in one of Libbey’s own variations of the Ellsmere pattern. It is signed Libbey in the center.
This rendition of the Ellsmere pattern features two hobstars, one flat and one with a 3-dimensional center which are separated with fans. Large panels of triple miter cane (a motif rarely used outside of the Libbey glass house) adorn the rest piece. The base is scalloped and contains an 18-point hobstar.
The compote is in perfect condition with no damage whatsoever. The blank is exceptionally clear and the piece measures 8 1/4″ wide and 5″ tall.
