This is Part 7 of an eight-part guide on opalescent vases made by the Jefferson Glass Company.  The patterns shown here include   Jefferson Stripe and Opal Urn.  This guide was made possible by the many E-Bayers who have contributed photographs to this project.  Please leave feedback by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.  Sellers should feel free to link listings to this guide.

ID Guide to
Jefferson Opalescent Vases, Part 7:
Striped Vases

by curculiosglass

An emerald-green Jefferson Stripe vase,
with an illustration of a Stripe vase from an advertisement
in the August, 1901, China, Glass & Pottery Review.

 left photo by maggie_kai

            This is the sixth part of a seven-part guide on pressed glass opalescent vases made by the Jefferson Glass Company of Steubenville, Ohio from 1900 to 1906.  A history of the company, and general information about Jefferson's opalescent glass, are provided in this guide's Part 1.

           This section of the guide focuses on Jefferson's striped vases made in the patterns known as Jefferson Stripe and Opal Urn.  Provided below is a pictorial gallery of these patterns to aid collectors in identifying Jefferson's bulbous vases.  The first five parts of this guide, which feature Jefferson's conventionally-shaped, whimsey, novelty, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and bulbous vases, can be accessed by clicking on links in the Table of Contents at the bottom of this page.

Jefferson Stripe Vases

A green Jefferson Stripe vase with cranberry frit
photos by perryphernalia

          Jefferson's striped vases appear in such a vast array of shapes and color treatments that we have decided to dedicate an entire guide chapter to them.  The vases frequently appear mislabeled on E-Bay as contemporary Fenton or as antique vases manufactured by a broad array of other misidentified companies.  This confusion is understandable -- a number of American glass works issued opalescent pressed-glass vases with striped patterns in the late 1880's and early 1900's, including Northwood, Nickel Plate, Model Flint, Buckeye and Beaumont.  Fenton also issued contemporary striped vases in many shapes and colors.  For this reason, we've asked E-Bay glass sellers for photographs of striped Jefferson vases, in order to provide illustrations of the remarkable variations on the Jefferson pattern.

          Jefferson Stripe vases were first produced around 1900.  On February 14, 1901, Crockery & Glass Journal announced "The Jefferson Glass Co. are showing a line of green opalescent fancy pieces that are quite out of the ordinary run.  Green opalescent is not seen elsewhere this season so far."  Among Jefferson's green opalescent vases of 1901 was the Jefferson Stripe vase shown above.  The Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 6th ed., p. 85, notes that Stripe vases originally appeared in catalogs as "Jefferson's #33".  

          The vases usually range from 7.5" to 8" tall, and they feature white opalescent stripes that run vertically against a transparent colored or colorless background.  As is evident from photographs in this guide, the vases also appear in a lighter green, blue, white and in canary opalescent.  (The Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., p. 92, noted that Jefferson Stripe vases were issued in blue and in emerald green; the SEOG's more recent, sixth edition, p. 85, adds two colors to this original short list -- white opalescent and "amber opalescent".)  Vase mouths frequently are decorated with speckled cranberry frit.  As noted in Part 1 of this guide, such frit is distinctive of early Jefferson glass, and where present, helps identify striped opalescent vases as Jefferson pieces. 

          Jefferson issued its Stripe vases in a remarkable variety of interesting shapes:  rims may be flattened and slightly ruffled with a rounded mouth, as shown above and below; or formed in the shape of a six-pointed star:

Four green and white opalescent Jefferson Stripe vases,
with rounded and star-shaped mouths

photo by maggie_kai

Stripe vases also appear with Jack-in-the-Pulpit mouths; an emerald green Jack-in the Pulpit Stripe vase with cranberry frit is shown in The Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., p. 92.  A similar vase is shown in blue, below left:

Jefferson Stripe vases
with differently shaped bodies and mouth treatments
photos by curculiosglass (left), steve3900_0 (center left ) and  maggie_kai

The bodies of Stripe vases also differ from one vase to the next:  As exemplified by the vases above, Jefferson Stripe vases all share an indented base, but on each the vase the body shape varies-- vases may have a body that gradually tapers toward the vase, as shown on the canary opalescent vase above right; or a body that features a bottom-heavy bulge, as on the blue and green vases at left and center left; or a body featuring a distinctly globe-shaped bulge, as shown on the green vase at center right and in the Jefferson advertisement at page top.  

Jefferson Stripe Bowl, whimseyed from a vase mold,
in canary opalescent glass with cranberry frit.

photo by topshelfantiques

Jefferson Stripe vases occasionally appear whimseyed into a hat shape with an extravagantly flared, ruffled mouth.  The vase shown above is canary opalescent (vaseline) glass with cranberry frit:  An identically shaped whimsey appeared in the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 6th ed., which calls the piece a "Jefferson Stripe whimsey bowl" (p. 171).  The SEOG reports that this whimsey shape also exists in white, blue, green and cranberry opalescent glass (p. 214).

Jefferson's Opal Urn Pattern
 

A blue opalescent Opal Urn vase
photo by curculiosglass

Opal Urn.  This striped Jefferson pattern deserves a section of its own because -- while it appears to be simply another variation on Jefferson's stripe -- Opal Urn vases were made from a different mold than that used for Jefferson's stripe vases.  Opal Urn vases were issued in 1902 under a separate item number and were known as Jefferson #18.  Opal urn vases have a distinctive flaring that drops 2 1/2 inches to the base, creating a pedestal-like bottom section.  The vases are 7 1/2" high.  This Jefferson pattern is referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 6th ed., at p. 104, which notes that Opal Urn vases appear in white, blue and green opalescent glass.  Canary opalescent Opal Urn vases also appeared on E-Bay in 2008.

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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  maggie_kai,  perryphernalia,  steve3900_0  and topshelfantiques  (Frank & Melissa Keathley),  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) 2008, 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. PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK ON THIS GUIDE BY PRESSING THE BUTTON BELOW.   To read our other guides on carnival and opalescent vases, click on  GUIDE INDEX.