This is Part 3 of an 8-part reference guide to early opalescent glass vases made by the Jefferson Glass Company.  If you're having trouble identifying an early opalescent vase, and don't see it in this guide, try our other guides on opalescent and carnival glass vases, which can be accessed by clicking on GUIDE INDEX.  This guide was made possible by the many E-Bayers who contributed photographs to the project.  Sellers should feel free to link listings to this guide.

Opalescent Vase Identification Guide:
Jefferson Glass Company Ribbed Vases, Part 3

   

Mouth of a blue Jefferson Twister vase whimsey
photo courtesy of rareandfair

INTRODUCTION

             This seven-part guide features 20 pressed-glass opalescent vases issued by the Jefferson Glass Company of Steubenville, Ohio, circa 1900-1906.  The guide's purpose is to help E-Bayers identify old opalescent glass vases; to document rare and unusual old American glass that passes through E-Bay; and to provide information on Jefferson vases not currently furnished in widely available resources.

             Part 1 of this guide series provides a history of the Jefferson Glass Company and general information about Jefferson's opalescent glass. Parts 2 and 3 focus on early opalescent Jefferson vases that have the conventional vase shape (rather than footed and novelty vases), with the intent of aiding sellers and buyers in telling Jefferson pieces from those of other opalescent vase manufacturers.  Part 2 shows the vase patterns Diamond & Oval Thumbprint, Heatherbloom and Inverted Chevron.  This section, Part 3, shows three additional ribbed vase patterns -- Lined Heart, Rib & Big Thumbprints and Twister.

          Other sections of this guide can be accessed by clicking on the Table of Contents at the bottom of the page or the links directly below.  Part 4 features Jefferson vases that are "whimseys," that is, vases shaped from non-vase molds;  Part 5 documents Jefferson's novelty vases;  Part 6  focuses on Jefferson's Jack-in-the Pulpit vases; Part 6 shows Jefferson's striped vases, and Part 7 features bulbous vases.

PHOTOGRAPHIC ID GUIDE
to Conventionally-Shaped Jefferson Vases

A white opalescent Lined Heart vase, circa 1906-1907
with an illustration of Jefferson's "No. 227" vase,
from the company's Follansbee catalog.

photo by curculiosglass

  
Lined Heart.    According to William Heacock, Jefferson issued its Lined Heart pattern circa 1906-1908 (Opalescent Glass from A to Z, p. 69).  The pattern appeared in Jefferson's Follansbee catalog, in transparent glass, under the names "No.  227" (for standard-size vases) and "No. 248" (for squatty "sweet pea" vases). Opalescent Lined Heart vases are very striking and appear with considerable frequency on E-Bay.  A standard-size vase is shown directly above, and a squatty vase at the top of this guide page:  the pattern features ribbed sections separated by smooth panels that widen into a distinctive teardrop shape at the base:

   
A squatty blue opalescent Lined Heart vase, with
detail of distinctive teardrop shapes at bottom of vase

photo by curculiosglass

Lined Heart vases tend to be transparent near the base and to show heavy opalescence at the opening. 
Vase bases bear a many-rayed star underneath, and base diameters tend to run between 3 1/2" to 3 3/4".  Lined Heart vases range in height from 7" for unswung vases to 14" for swung vases; squat and tall vases are equally common.  Marion Hartung noted in her seminal work, Opalescent Pattern Glass, that squatty Lined Heart vases such as the one shown in the above photographs and drawing were known as "sweet pea vases," and they appear under this name in Jefferson's Follansbee catalog. 

The Lined Heart pattern received its name from Marion Hartung, who thought that the vases' ribbed or "lined" areas formed heart shapes; this may be difficult to picture even when you're looking at one of the vases in person, but the name makes some sense if you see Hartung's sketch of this Jefferson vase:

Sketch of Lined Heart Vase by Marion T. Hartung
 from Opalescent Pattern Glass (Wallace-Homestead Co. 1970)

As Hartung saw it, each ribbed section of a Lined Heart vase terminates in a point at the base, like the bottom point of a heart; at the vase's ruffled top, the lined sections give way to curves like the top curves of a heart.  

William Heacock wrote that "The taller version of this pattern loses its heart-like characteristic, and is not as easily recognized when found" (Opalescent Glass from A to Z, ev. ed., p. 76).  Nevetheless, taller vases like that shown above are still readily distinguished by their parallel narrow ribs and the distinctive teardrop-shaped bottom ends of the plain panels separating the ribbing.

Jefferson's Lined Heart vases are referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 6th ed., at p. 93, which records the vases, in white blue and green; the SEOG deems blue and green equally valuable, followed by white.  Vases in transparent (non-opalescent) clear and sapphire-blue glass also have surfaced on E-Bay. A Lined Heart vase in transparent glass appeared in the Canadian catalog issued by Jefferson's Glass Co. Limited of Toronto, circa 1915 (see Loomis, Krys-Tol! Krystol!  Krys-tol! at p. 68). 

(Special Note:  These vases were not made in "canary glass" or "vaseline glass," and buyers should be skeptical of E-Bay listings claiming that the vases "glow" in the dark.)

    

Rib & Big Thumbprints vases, in squatty and
standard sizes, Jefferson Glass Co., 1907

photos by curculiosglass (left) and grannys142

Rib & Big Thumbprints.   This pattern features five vertical ribbed columns, between the columns of ribs are panels of three oval "thumbprints".   On shorter vases, the oval thumbprints ae easy to discern,, but on taller vases, the thumbprints may be quite stretched and at times difficult to see.  As a result, stretched vases bearing this pattern are sometimes confused with Jefferson's Lined Heart vases (shown above) and other ribbed vases.  The best way to identify these vases is by counting the number of ribs in the ribbed columns:  as shown below each ribbed panel features a column containing exactly four ribs. 

Interior view of Rib & Big Thumbprints vase:
note that each vertical column contains exactly four ribs.

photo by and grannys142

According to the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 6th ed., Rib & Big Thumbprints vases first appeared in 1906 and 1908 Butler Brothers wholesale catalogs in two separate ads (p. 122).  The first ad listed them as a product of the Dugan Glass Company and the second as a vase made by the Jefferson Glass Company.  This is one of very few Jefferson opalescent vase patterns never documented by William Heacock in his fairly comprehensive Opalescent Glass from A-Z.

Rib & Big Thumbprints vases bear a many-rayed star on the undersides of the bases.  The vases we have seen range from 5 1/2" to 12" in height.  They appear in blue, green and white opalescent glass.

 

A blue opalescent Twister vase, circa 1908, with
an illustration of a Twister vase from Jefferson's Follansbee catalog

photo by curculiosglass

Twister.   According to the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 6th ed.,  p. 176, Twister vases are scarce.  Twister vases first appeared in 1908 Butler Brothers wholesale catalogs, and they also appear under the name "No. 227" vase in a crystal assortment in Jefferson's Follansbee catalog.  The Twister pattern features plain panels alternating with panels of stripes that twist outward, creating the impression the the entire pattern is whirling like a twister.

Mouth of a blue opalescent Twister vase
photo by curculiosglass

As shown in the above photograph, the clear and striped panels on Twister vases are demarcated by thin 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 and helps distinguish Twister vases from other ribbed opalescent vases. A second feature also helps identify Twister vases -- they have a distinctive 6-pointed star design impressed on the base.  A photograph of a Twister vase base is shown in our guide on opalescent vase bases; the photograph of the white bowl below also shows the 6-pointed star design clearly.

All Twister vases are "whimseys" -- that is, they are pieces that have been pulled from molds designed for shapes other than vases.  Twister vases were cast in bowl and plate molds and then stretched into vase shapes.  Below is an example of a shallow bowl made in the same mold as Jefferson's Twister pattern:

A Jefferson 7 1/2" Twister bowl
photo by glassladyceg

Twister vases we have seen have been fairly tall -- between 9" and 13".  The blue vase shown above is 11 1/4" high with a 3 1/2" base.  Twister vases are found in white, green and blue; they are a good find in any color, but are most valuable in blue or green. 


Other Jefferson vase patterns:   Continue on to Part 4  in order to view more Jefferson opalescent "whimsey" vases made in the patterns known as Iris with Meander and Tokyo.

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Jefferson Vase Guide Table of Contents

   Introduction
       Conventionally-shaped Vases
    Conventionally-shaped Ribbed Vases
Whimsey Vases
 Novelty Vases
   Jack-in-the-pulpit Vases
Striped Vases
Bulbous Vases

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        Many thanks to E-Bayers  glassladyceg,  grannys142,  and  rareandfair  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 is (c) 2007, 2009 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.

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