Impressive Expanding Star Ice Cream Tray

This is a wonderful, large tray cut in Expanding Star. The Expanding Star design varies greatly in quality – I attribute this to different firms cutting this design and time periods when produced. I have often heard this people attribute this pattern to Libbey or Elite. I do not thing this version was done by either, but the blank was likely produced by Libbey. I have never seen a nicer piece in Expanding Star than this tray – the cutting and glass quality are up there with the best.

As the name suggests, Expanding Star is just that – the pattern is made up of a giant expanding star. The center of the tray has a circular star formation made of a flat hobstar and three-dimensional crosshatched fields. Several deep miters intersect and make the pattern all the more complex. Further outward in the expansion are pairs of two flat, Christmas-style hobstar, which eventually lead to clear-button hobstars framed by fans. In between each point of the overall star, lies a rich, deeply-cut hobstar.

The tray is in immaculate condition and measures . This pattern was never done better than it was on this piece, and it’s a prime example of American Brilliant Cut Glass.