This is the fourth in our series of guides on easily confused early pressed-glass opalescent and carnival vases (1898-1912).  This guide features mold-pressed opalescent vases with ribbed patterns.

Quick ID Guide to Easily Confused
Ribbed Opalescent Vases
    

Lined Heart vase, Jefferson Glass Co., circa 1906-1907
photo by curculiosglass

Introduction

          Between 1900 and 1912, American glassworks issued a variety of ribbed vase patterns in pressed opalescent glass.  Such patterns include Fenton's Fine Rib vase; the Jefferson Glass Company's Lined Heart, Twister and Big Rib & Thumbprint vases; and Northwood's Many Ribs  and Thin & Wide Rib vases.  If you find a vase below that resembles the one you're trying to identify, click on the purple link under the photograph:  the link will take you to one of our opalescent glass guides that provides information on the vase.  

Photographs  of  Ribbed Vases

Detail photo of  Jefferson Lined Heart vase
photo by curculiosglass

Jefferson's Lined Heart.  As shown directly above at at the very top of this guide page, Lined Heart vases feature ribbed panels separated by clear panels that terminate in a teardrop-shape at the base.   Lined Heart vases were made by the Jefferson Glass Company in 1906-1907.  More information on these vases can be found in our guide on Jefferson vases.

    

Big Rib & Thumbprint vase, Jefferson Glass Co., 1907
photos courtesy of grannys142

Jefferson's Big Rib & Thumbprint vases feature wide panels separated by ribbed panels.  In shorter vases, large oval thumbprints can be seen on the wide panels, but in taller vases, such as the one shown below, the thumbprints may be quite stretched and at times difficult to discern.  The best way to identify these vases is by counting the number of ribs in the ribbed columns:  as shown above, right, each ribbed panel features a column containing exactly four ribs.  Information about Jefferson's Big Rib & Thumbprint vases can be found in our guide on Jefferson vases.

 

Twister vase whimsey, Jefferson Glass Co., 1908
photo by curculiosglass

Jefferson's Twister vases have striped panels that alternate with plain panels bordered by ribs.  The narrow stripes on the striped panels are slightly slanted, rather than perpendicular to the ribs; this effect is most visible near the mouth of the vase, as shown above. Twister vases also have a distinctive 6-pointed star design on the base.  Information on these vases and a picture of a vase's base can be found in our guide on  Jefferson  whimsey vases. 

  
    

left and center left:  Northwood's Thin & Wide Rib vase, circa 1902-1908
right and center right:  Northwood's Many Ribs vase, circa 1902-1908

photos by payrollgal (blue opalescent Thin Rib vase) and curculiosglass

Northwood's Thin & Wide Rib vase is confused occasionally with Northwood's Many Ribs.   Thin & Wide Rib vases feature thin ribs separated by wider panels.  By contrast, Northwood's Many Ribs vases have very thin, uniformly spaced ribs that run from the rim of the vase's mouth to the very edge of the base.  More information on Thin & Wide Rib vases can be found in our guide on Northwood carnival & opalescent twin vases.  More information on Many Ribs vases can be found in our guide on miscellaneous opalescent vases.  Both of these vase patterns are also confused with Fenton's Fine Rib vase; see information below on the Fenton vase.

Fenton's Fine Rib vase:
note that the ribs stop at the band circling the rim,
rather than running to the edge of the vase's mouth.

photo courtesy of oxbeetle 

Fenton's Fine Rib.  On first glance, this very rare opalescent pattern can be confused with Northwood's opalescent Many Ribs and Thin & Wide Rib vases.  As shown above, however, these two patterns are easily distinguished from Fenton's Fine Rib pattern.  Fenton's Fine Rib vase has a 1/2" inch band that circles the top of the vase just below the rim.  The two Northwood vases, by contrast, lack this band -- on each Northwood vase, the ribs run to the very rim of the vase.  The Fenton Fine Rib vase shown above stands 10 1/2" tall, and has a smooth, patternless base with a diameter of 2 7/8".  More information on Fenton Fine Rib vases can be found in our guides on Fenton canary-opalescent glass and on Fenton vases.

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Many thanks to  grannys142, oxbeetle and  payrollgal  for generously contributing their photographs to this guide.  Rights to all photos belong to the photographers, and pictures should not be used without their permission.  Text is (c) 2007 curculiosglass, all rights reserved.  To locate any E-Bay seller mentioned here,  just click on "Site Map" at the bottom of your E-Bay screen, and then click on "Feedback Forum" at the right top corner of the large menu that pops up.  Type or copy the seller's name into the Feedback Forum's search blank.  PLEASE LEAVE YOUR VOTE ON THIS GUIDE BY PRESSING THE BUTTON BELOW.  This causes the guide to rise higher in the E-Bay guides index, so that E-Bay buyers can find it more easily. 

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