Definitions of:   feathered glass - flashed glass - flint glass - frit - frosted glass - gilt glass - goofus glass - hand vase - Jadite - lead crystal

GLOSSARY OF GLASS TERMS

F - L

A - B      Ca - Cz      D - E      M - Op     Ov - Pe      Pi - Pz      Q - R      Sa - Ste      Str - Z

Glossary Table of Contents
 

The purpose of this guide is to help buyers understand terms
commonly used by E-Bay sellers to describe old American glass (made 1850-1930).
Please leave feedback by pushing the button at the bottom of the page.

Many thanks to all the E-Bayers who
have contributed photos to this glossary!

    

Examples of feathering on a lamp shade (left) and on glass vases.
photos courtesy of mynos (left) and curculiosglass

Feathered glass:  feathering is a glass-making technique.  Feathering is done by applying threads of opaque glass to a layer of molten glass.  The threads are rolled into the glass until level, and the hot surface is combed to produce a decorative feathery, wavy or zig-zag effect.  Feathered designs figured prominently in American Art Nouveau glass, and were a hallmark decorative feature of Quezal and Durand glass vases and lampshades.  The decorative effect shown on the above lamp shade is often referred to as "pulled feather".  Feathering is also called "combing".  See "Quezal glass" in this glossary.

This goblet is clear blown glass flashed with a thin layer of pink glass.
Hydrofluoric acid was used to remove the pink top layer, in order to produce
an etched design by allowing the clear underlying layer to show through.

Flashed glass:  flashing is a glass-making technique.  The Corning Museum of Glass defines "flashing" as "the application of a very thin layer of glass of one color over a layer of contrasting color."  Flashing is done by dipping glass of one color into a crucible containing molten glass of a different color.  Flashing is often used as an inexpensive way of coloring the exterior of a glass piece.  Flashing also may be done for the purpose of decoration:  for example, as shown above, after a thin layer of flashed glass is applied to clear glass, the flashed layer can be etched away, leaving the underlying layer exposed to produce a design -- or, the flashed layer can be cut away in a technique called "cut-to-clear," leaving a cut clear design.  (See "cut-to-clear" in this glossary.)    Pressed glass pieces which are colored through staining, such as the mug shown under "ruby-stained glass" in this glossary, are often incorrectly labeled as "flashed glass".  The two processes of staining and flashing, however, are distinct.  Flashing is a method that involves the use of glass to color glass, while staining involves the use of a chemical coating.  Staining can be scraped off, while flashing must be etched, ground or chipped off.  Flashing is usually (but not always) associated with blown glass.  (Compare "casing" and "ruby-stained glass" in this glossary.)

Flint glass:   a misnomer for lead crystal, and a more general term used to describe clear antique glass.  Silicate is the main ingredient of glass and is usually derived from quartz, a mineral often abundant in sand deposits.  There are many varieties of quartz, and flint is one of them; flint is microcrystalline quartz that contains mineral impurities.  According to the Corning Museum of Glass, the term "flint glass" came into use in 1674, when the English glassmaker George Ravenscroft created a new glass formula:  Ravenscroft discovered that by adding lead oxide to silicate, he could produce a form of brilliant clear crystal now popularly known as "lead crystal".  Ravenscroft's named source of silicate in his formula was flint, and thus his discovery was termed "flint glass".  Flint, however, was not essential to the formula; other kinds of quartz suffice equally well in making lead crystal.  The Corning museum notes that with time, "flint glass" eventually evolved into "a misnomer for English and American lead glass," even when the glass so called contained no flint.  Glass collectors will note that American companies in operation in the late 1800's often have the word "flint" in their names:  examples are the Pennsylvania companies Cooperative Flint, Model Flint and Findlay Flint, all of which produced lead crystal, among other kinds of glass.  According to the Corning Museum, in the 18th and 19th Centuries, the term "flint glass" came to be applied to "any kind of decolorized glass," even when the glass contained neither lead nor flint.  Decolorized glass is simply clear glass formed by using an agent such as manganese dioxide to remove mineral impurities that might otherwise tint the glass a greenish or brownish color.  Secondary meaning of "flint" glass:  Early opalescent pressed glass manufactured in America in the late 1800's and early 1900's by companies such as H. Northwood & Co. tended to be made in the colors blue, green, canary (yellow), cranberry and flint opalescent.  Used in this context, the word "flint" was simply the term used to convey that the opalescent glass described was clear-to-white rather than colored.  The Jefferson Wide Rib vase shown below is an example of white opalescent or "flint" opalescent glass.  Compare "lead crystal" below.

Speckled-cranberry frit on a
Jefferson Wide Rib opalescent vase, circa 1900-1907
photo courtesy of diantiques

Frit:  a term used to describe glass.   Frit is glass that has been ground into a powder.  Frit can be mixed with oil and chemicals to make enamel; the frit added to this combination aids in fusing colors onto a piece of glass.  Frit also may be mixed into glass that is still in a hot, molten state:  as the glass cools, the frit remains suspended in the glass, producing a speckled effect.  Thus, you'll see glass pieces described  as having a "cranberry frit" "blue frit" or "green frit" top.  The Jefferson glass company of Steubenville, Ohio is known, for example, for speckled-cranberry frit on the rims of its glassware, as shown on the piece above.

Frosted glass:  a frosting is a glass-finishing technique.  The Illustrated Glass Dictionary at glassonline.com defines frosting as follows:  "The process of giving a glass surface a matte finish, thus reducing transparency. Frosting is done through a variety of methods.  It may involve treating the glass by pouring hydrofluoric acid on it or exposing it to the acid's fumes.  Frosting also may be achieved by sandblasting, through a special glue application and subsequent removal, or by mechanical etching with a grinding wheel."  Frosted finishes can vary greatly.  Some have a coarse, sandpaper feel, while others have a soft feel and the look of clouded glass. The Philadelphia firm Gillinder & Sons experimented with frosting techniques in the 1870's, and fine frosted glass became one of the company's hallmarks.  The Gillinder hand vase shown below under "hand vase" is an example of the company's frosted glass.  The 19th-century term for glass with a frosted or matte finish was satin glass.  Frosting or "satinizing" may be applied to opaque as well as transparent glass.   See "satin glass" in this glossary.

EAPG Cambridge tumbler with gilt decoration, circa 1905 
photo courtesy of glassdaze65

Gilt:  gilding is a glass-decorating technique.  According to the Corning Museum of Glass, gilding is the process of decorating glass with gilt, which is defined as "gold leaf, gold paint or dust".  Gilt is applied with glue or resin, or mixed with mercury.  Heating causes the gilt to adhere to the glass.  On the above EAPG tumbler, gold has been applied to emphasize the recessed Inverted Strawberry pattern.

1908 Northwood goofus glass:  the bowl is pressed green glass
that was decorated with red and gold "cold paint".
This bowl has a marie base.

photo courtesy of good_omen_antiques

Goofus glass:  a category of glass:   Goofus glass is a kind of pressed glass that was decorated with paint after the glass had completely cooled.  The technique often involved using a piece of glass with a recessed design (intaglio) or a raised design (relief-embossed):  cold paint was then applied to the recessed or raised design.  The term "cold paint" refers to lacquer or oil paint that is applied to the glass, but not fired on afterwards in a furnace.  This distinguishes goofus treatment, for example, from enameling and gilding techniques in which painted-on decoration is heated or fired.  The paint colors usually associated with goofus glass are gold, red and green.  The underlying glass is usually transparent, but also may be opalescent or custard glass.  Occasionally, you will see painted milk glass described as "goofus glass," but some goofus aficionados look askance at including milk glass in the goofus category.  True goofus glass dates from approximately 1900 to 1930; some Goofus authorities restrict it to a shorter time period of 1900 to 1920.  According to the Glass Encyclopedia, the heyday of goofus glass was 1897 to 1912, after which it fell out of favor with the advent of carnival glass.  Prominent producers of goofus glass were Imperial, Indiana, Dugan-Diamond, Northwood, Lancaster, Dithridge and McKee.  The name "goofus" was assigned to the glass not by the makers, but instead adopted by the public as a somewhat pejorative term --  the basic idea was that the glass looked like a goofus had painted it, or that the maker was trying to "goof us" by making us buy it.  The glass, however, has a definite outrageous charm.  The bowl above, which is featured in William Heacock's Harry Northwood:  The Wheeling Years (p. 41), was issued by Northwood in 1908.  The bowl is pressed green glass decorated with red-and-gold paint.  1908 Butler Brothers catalogs advertised the "glorious satin iridescent effect" produced by the gold-decorated back when the green glass was viewed from above.  If you're interested in learning more about goofus glass, we recommend the websites of the Goofus Glass Museum (goofus.org);  goofusglass.com and the goofus page of theglassencyclopedia.com.

    

Gillinder & Sons (1876) and Duncan & Sons (1886-1990) hand vases
The Gillinder vase (left)  is an example of  frosted glass.
photos courtesy of curculiosglass

Hand vase.  Hand vases are found in both pottery and glass.  A hand vase is a piece formed like a hand holding a vase; the vase may be shaped like a torch, cornucopia, leaves, a trumpet or a fan.  Most hand vases are "right-handed" -- that is, the hand holding the vase is a person's right hand.   Glass hand vases first appeared in the 1870's, and reached their heyday from 1870 to 1880.  Victorian glass hand vases were made in America in the 1870's and 1880's in America by Gillinder & Sons and George Duncan & Sons.  Gillinder hand vases (shown above left), were issued in 1876 to celebrate the centennial of the United States; the 7" vases are made of heavy lead crystal, feature a hand holding a sheath of wheat, and bear lettering on the base reading "Centennial 1876".  George Duncan & Sons' "Cornucopia" hand vases  were issued in 6" and 8" sizes, in amber (above right), apple green, amethyst, blue, clear and vaseline transparent glass. Victorian hand vases also were made in England by John Derbyshire & Sons, in France by Portieux et Vallerysthal, and in Bohemia by a variety of glassworks.  Later manufacturers of hand vases in the United States included Akro Agate (from 1930-1949), L.E. Smith and Avon (1960's); and Fenton Art Glass (1930's - 2007).   Carnival glass hand vases also were produced in India by Jain Glass (1930's).  Reproductions and contemporary hand vases:  In the 1930's, Fenton issued reproductions of Duncan's Cornucopia hand vase in crystal (clear), Wisteria (purple), vaseline and blue transparent glass; the reproductions, which Fenton marketed under the name "Cape Cod," feature a Daisy & Button pattern very similar to the geometric pattern show above left on Duncan's Cornucopia vase -- on the Fenton vases, however, there are circles or "buttons" between the geometric designs.  Contemporary knockoffs of the Gillinder hand vase shown above left frequently appear on E-Bay in ice blue, cobalt blue and pink transparent (unfrosted) glass.  The Gillinder knockoffs are of unknown origin; they feature a hand holding a wheat sheaf, but typically show less detail, lack lettering on the base, are narrower in shape and stand about 6 1/2" tall.  A variety of other contemporary hand vases from Bohemia and China commonly appear on E-Bay.  Resources:  If you are interested in hand vases, or are trying to identify or verify the authenticity of a specific hand vase, we highly recommend the dazzling website on hand vases set up by the Glass Museum of New Zealand (glass.co.nz/glasshandvases.htm).  To read about the creation of Gillinder hand vases specifically, visit the website of the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center (wheatonarts.org/museumamericanglass/exhibitions/pastexhibits/1994gillinderglass).

Heat sensitive glass:  See "struck glass" in this glossary.

Jadite kitchenware:  the milk pitcher, bowls and rare lidded jar are
Anchor-Hocking's Fire-King, and the reamer was made by Jeanette Glass.
Buyers should be aware that Jadite reproductions are common.
photo courtesy of  screech109

Jadite (sometimes called Jad-ite or Jadeite):  a type and color of glass.  “Jadite” is a trade name coined in 1932 by the Jeanette Glass company of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, to describe a line of opaque jade-green glass kitchenware.  The name derived from the glassware’s resemblance to the mineral known as “jadeite," a variety of jade used in jewelry and stone carving.   A year before, in 1931, the McKee Company, also of Jeanette, Pennsylvania, and Fenton Art Glass of Williamstown, West Virginia, had issued similar green tableware the companies simply called “Jade Green” glass – accordingly, you’ll see authorities disagree over whether Jeannette, McKee or Fenton should be named the true inventor of Jadite.  The term “Jadite,” as now used by glass collectors, has taken on a broader meaning than Jeanette’s original trade name.  “Jadite” is currently used to describe a general category of translucent-to-opaque jade-green glassware produced by a number of American glass companies from the 1930’s through the 1950’s.  Makers of genuine vintage Jadite included, among others, Akro Agate; Fenton; Houzex; Jeanette; McKee; Morgantown; New Martinsville; Westite; and Anchor-Hocking, whose best known Jadite line was Fire-King, first introduced in 1945.  Anchor-Hocking marketed its opaque green glassware under the hyphenated name “Jade-ite,” but many of these companies originally sold Jadite ware under other names:  Akro Agate, for example, used the name “Apple Green”; McKee used the term “Skokie Green” as well as “Jade Green”; and, as noted, Fenton used the name “Jade Green”.  Fluorescent Jadite:  Glassmakers sometimes achieved the distinctive green of Jadite by adding uranium dioxide to molten glass as a colorant.  As a consequence, some original Jadite glows bright green under ultraviolet light and is considered a variety of "uranium glass":  Jeanette's measuring cups are an example.  Reproduction Alert:  Jadite has risen substantially in value in recent decades, and thus buyers should be aware that inferior fraudulent reproductions of Jadite abound, and unfortunately appear frequently on E-Bay.  Unscrupulous sellers may list fake pieces misleadingly under manufacturer names such as “Fire-King” or “Anchor Hocking,” or may simply use the word “Jadite” to dupe buyers into believing that cheap knockoffs are valuable vintage glass.  Many poor quality Jadite reproductions come from China and South America.  In addition, according to Mark Chervenka’s Guide to Fakes & Reproductions (2007), pp. 197-216, Jadite reproductions have been mass-produced in the United States since the early 1990’s.  The American companies Mosser and Rosso Glass are the largest producers of Jadite knockoffs; L.E. Smith and Fenton have also issued higher quality contemporary Jadite lines for Martha Stewart (usually marked “Martha by Mail”, or “MBM").  Commonly reproduced pieces include, among others, pitchers, canisters, salt and pepper shakers, reamers, measuring cups, rolling pins, lamps, cups and saucers, oyster plates, mayonnaise sauces, covered dishes, candle sticks and butter dishes.  Distinguishing genuine from new Jadite may be difficult, and buyers thus should take care to purchase only from reputable sellers.  E-Bayer screech109 urges buyers to consult identification guides to verify the authenticity of pieces before purchase.  Chervenka similarly cautions buyers to educate themselves about what pieces were issued originally in Jadite, and he notes that many (but not all) new Jadite pieces “have a slick, greasy feeling.  Embossed detail is often poor and mold seams can be obvious.  Pits and broken bubbles can also be a sign of the low quality glass commonly used to make new Jadite” (GFR, p. 198).  A false “Fire-King” logo may appear on fake and newly issued Anchor-Hocking Jadite.  Buyers considering purchasing Jadite may find it helpful to peruse watchdog websites that provide information about and photographs of Jadite reproductions commonly appearing on E-Bay. We think the best of these is spglass.com  (spglass.com/jaditerepros2.html).   Please note: Jadite listings that appear advertised in the right-hand margin of this glossary under the heading "Items from E-Bay Sellers" are posted automatically by E-Bay, are not part of this glossary, are not necessarily endorsed by us and may offer either genuine or fake Jadite.  Other Resources:  If you are interested in further information on Jadite, we recommend Uni and Keith Marbutt's series of five articles about Jadite posted at the website of the National Depression Glass Association (ndga.net/rainbow/rainbowindex.htm).

A lead crystal American Brilliant Period cut-glass bowl:
photo courtesy of bubbleking

Lead crystal:  A type of glass.   According to the Corning Museum of Glass, lead crystal was first developed by British glassmaker George Ravenscroft in 1674.  It is a type of glass containing a high percentage of lead oxide (at least 20%), which gives it a high refractory index that makes the glass sparkle and also renders it soft and easy to work.  An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass notes that lead crystal tends to be heavy and and less fragile than other forms of glass, and it is thus highly suitable for engraving and cutting.  Lead crystal was used to make American Brilliant Period (ABP) glass, a form of early American cut glass; an example is shown above.  Lead crystal often goes by the misnomer "flint glass" -- much glass that is called "flint glass," however, does not have a sufficiently high lead content to qualify as true lead crystal.   Compare "flint glass" above.  See also "brilliant cut glass" in this glossary.

Click here to continue on to M - Op.

-----o-----

         Many thanks to E-Bayers  bubbleking,  diantiques, glassdaze65,  good_omen_antiques,  mynos, oxbeetle and screech109 for generously contributing their expertise and photographs to this page of the glass glossary.  Rights to all photos belong to the photographers, and pictures should not be used without their permission.  Text is (c) 2008 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.  

If you found this guide helpful, please leave feedback on the guide by pressing on the button below -- this helps the guide rise in the review index, so that buyers can find it more easily.   To read our guides on carnival and opalescent glass, click on GUIDE INDEX.