Goa vase - Tribal vase - CB vase - Jain vase - Indian Carnival vase - Mayuri vase

The Carnival Glass of India, Part 2

 

Indian Carnival Glass Vase ID Guide:
Goa-style Vases 

by curculiosglass

Classic Indian Carnival Shapes: 
Bulbous, Fish, Hand and Goa Vases

photos by *treasurehunter* (left) and ponypainter

          We have chosen to focus on vases in the Parts 2-4 of this guide to Indian carnival glass, because there is currently no other available Internet site that lists and  identifies Indian carnival vases.  To see other parts of this guide, clink on links in the Table of Contents at the bottom of the page.  This guide was made possible by the many E-Bayers who contributed to this project.  Please leave feedback by clicking the button at the bottom of the page. 

Introduction

           As noted in Part I of this guide, India's most prominent carnival glass manufacturer was Jain Glass Works of Firozabad, which launched the production of the first iridized Indian glass in 1935.  Nine other Indian glassworks in or near Firozabad also produced carnival glass:  among these were a glassworks known by the imprint AMV, which issued Hand and Serpent vases; and the CB Works, which issued Elephant vases and Goa-style "CB vases".  India's carnival glass production consisted primarily of tumblers and pitchers. 

           Indian carnival vases fall roughly into 5 categories suggested by Glen and Stephen Thistlewood in their groundbreaking work A Century of Carnival Glass:  (1) Goa-style vases, which have a classic hourglass shape;  (2) Hand and Animal vases, which feature a hand, fish, snake or elephant wrapped around the vase;  (3) Bulbous or tear-shaped vases; (2) Etched vases, decorated with marigold designs over frosted glass ; and (5) a handful of unusually shaped one-of-a-kind vases that defy categorization.  

          At this time, 34 distinct Indian carnival vase patterns have been documented.  These include the following:   Goa-style vases - Goa, Goa Variant, CB, CB Variant, Herbal Medicine, Peacock Tree (Mayrui), Potted Flowers and Tribal;  Hand & Animal vases - Elephant (CB and Jain versions), Fish, Hand (AMV and Jain versions), Serpent (AMV and Jain versions); Bulbous vases - Daisy Drape, Diamante Stars, Diamantes, Diamantes Leaves, Diamond Heart, Dimples, Helen's Star, Orbit and Panji Peacock; Etched vases - Feeding Birds, Flying Geese, Frosted Indian, Frosted Lotus, Indian Cameo, Misty Morn and Swans & Flowers; and One-of-a-Kind Vases - Goddess, Kedvesh, Lotus Bud and Paneled Fish Palms.

          This section of our guide, Part 2, focuses on Goa-style vases.  Part 3  features Indian carnival Hand, Elephant, Fish, Serpent and Goddess vases.  Part 4  focuses on Jain's bulbous vases, and Part 5  shows etched, Goddess and other one-of-a-kind vases.

Goa-style Vases

Goa vase front and back, with illustrations of design
found on the Goa vase (top center); and on a Goa Variant (bottom center)

left photo by bottleman;  right photo and illustrations courtesy of curculiosglass

Goa-Style vases:  According to the Standard Companion to Non-American Carnival Glass (2006) by Edwards & Carwile, Goa-style vases were made in the 1930's by Jain Glass Works and by CB Glass Works.  In A Century of Carnival Glass (p. 180), Glen and Stephen Thistlewood define Goa-style vases as "a group of Indian vases with a distinctive, classic hourglass shape," usually made of thin mold-blown glass with marigold iridescence, and generally running around 6" high.  The vases are named for the island of Goa off of India, where the first examples were found.  Goa-style vases are nearly identical in design:  all have a shape that we would describe as a top-heavy hour glass; all have a ridge that runs in a band about a quarter of the way down the vase; and all have a slightly flared and ruffled mouth.  The vases, however, vary in the pattern impressed on the exterior of the glass.  To date, Goa-style vases have been found in eight patterns:  Goa, Goa Variant, CB, CB Variant, Herbal Medicine,  Peacock Tree (Mayuri), Potted Flowers and Tribal.  The patterns on Goa vases are delicate and difficult to show through photography, and thus buyers and sellers will find that few clear and detailed photographs of Goa vase patterns appear in available carnival glass literature.  Thus, this guide provides both photographs and detail drawings of as many Goa patterns as possible. 

Goa vase.  The Goa vase shown above, whose name defines this Indian carnival vase category, is decorated on one side with a shield-like oval filled in with criss-crossed lines, and on the other side with a design resembling a stylized peacock tail.  A variation on this pattern, which we've chosen here to call a Goa Variant vase, appeared on E-Bay in 2007.  The vase had the same shield pattern, but on the obverse side, featured a slightly different peacock-tail design than that found on standard Goa vases.  Both the Goa and Goa Variant patterns are shown above.  Goa vases are referenced in the Standard Encylopedia of Carnival Glass, 11th ed (2008) at p. 123.

Pattern on CB vase
drawing courtesy of curculiosglass

CB vases feature a plant stalk adorned with branches, flowers and elongated heart-shaped leaves.  Near the bottom of each vase is the mark "CB" in fairly large lettering.   CB Variant vases similarly feature flowers and leaves, but have an additional motif of butterfly-like patterns.  CB vases were first documented by Glen and Stephen Thistlewood in A Century of Carnival Glass (p. 180), which notes that a CB vase first came to international attention at the International Carnival Glass Convention in Schamburg, Germany in 1999.  A photograph of a CB vase can be found at www.ddoty.com/cbvase.html.   We would welcome photographs of CB and CB variant vases from E-Bayers.

CB vases and CB vase variants are referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, 11th ed, (p. 55), which attributes the initials "CB" to the CB glassworks, an apparent Jain competitor.  As noted in Parts 1 and 6 of this guide, however, some collectors believe that the astonishing similarity of  pieces marked with the Jain and CB logos suggests that "CB" may be an alternate imprint of Jain Glass Works. The initials "CB" also appear on Indian carnival Elephant vases, shown in Part 3 of this guide; and on two known tumblers in the patterns Flower & Spear Quartet (viewable at tumblerworld.com) and Lotus & Spear Quartet, a previously unknown pattern documented in Part 6.  
 

Herbal Medicine Goa-style vase
photos by ponypainter

Herbal Medicine.  The Herbal Medicine vase shown above is decorated with an impressed pattern that features a clump of grass on one side, and on the other a five-petaled flower with a stem and leaves.  Omitted from the Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, 11th ed., this pattern is documented by Glen and Stephen Thistlewood in A Century of Carnival Glass, at p. 180.  The Herbal Medicine vase's pattern is very similar to the Indian carnival tumbler pattern known as Olympic Tudor & Beads.  For comparison, photographs of Olympic Tudor & Beads tumblers can be found both at the Thistlewoods' website (geocities.com/carni_glass_uk_2000/tumblers.html) and at the website of Tumbler World (tumblerworld.com/JainNew2.html).

Central Pattern on Peacock Tree vase
drawing courtesy of curculiosglass

Peacock Tree:  This pattern shows a peacock on a tree limb surrounded by leaves and blossoms.  At the bottom of the vase is a design consisting of five parallel raised bars.  A photograph of this vase can be found in the Standard Companion to Non-American Carnival Glass, p. 241; a less detailed picture is featured in the Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, 11th ed., p. 210.  The Peacock Tree pattern is also known by the name Mayuri -- mayur is the Hindi word for "peacock".  The peacock is native to India, a figure in Indian mythology and legends, and India's national bird as well.

Pattern on Potted Flowers vase

Potted Flowers:  This pattern is easily identifiable because, as the name suggests, it features a pot of flowers.  No photograph of this pattern is available in any widely available resource.  The above illustration is based on a drawing of the pattern shown in Glen & Stephen Thistlewood's A Century of Carnival Glass, at p. 181.  We would welcome photographs of this vase from an E-Bayer.

Tribal Vase, with drawing of pattern
photo by bottleman; drawing courtesy of curculiosglass

Tribal vases show a combination of patterns including ovals and triangles with dots inside, beaded patterns and flowers.  Tribal vases were first documented by Glen and Stephen Thistlewood in A Century of Carnival Glass (p. 180), and now appear a few times each year on E-Bay.  An additional photograph of a Tribal vase can be found at ddoty.com/tribal.html.  These vases are referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, 11th ed., at p. 270.

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To continue to another part of this guide, click one of the links below:

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1. General Information on Jain            2. Goa-style Vases              3. Hand & Animal Vases     

       4. Bulbous (Tear-shaped) Vases              5. Etched Vases and Other Vases          6. Cobalt-blue Fish Vase Fakes

                 7. New Pitcher Patterns      8. New Tumbler Patterns - A            9. New Tumbler Patterns - B  

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          Many thanks to E-Bayers  bottleman, ponypainter  and  *treasurehunter*  for generously contributing photographs to this guide.   Rights to all photos belong to the photographers, and pictures should not be used without their permission.  Text and drawings are (c) 2008 curculiosglass, all rights reserved.  To locate any E-Bayer whose name is mentioned here, or to visit his or her store, simply click on "SITE MAP" on the bottom of your screen, and then click on "Feedback Forum" on the right top corner of the screen that next appears.  Type or copy the E-Bayer's name into the search blank.  To see our other guides on glass, click on GUIDE INDEX.  If you found this guide helpful, please leave feedback by clicking the button below. This makes the guide rise in the E-Bay index so that it is easier for other E-Bayers to locate.