This is Part C of a six-part guide on opalescent vases made by the Jefferson Glass Company.  The patterns shown here include Aurora Borealis, Dahlia Twist, Fluted Bars & Beads, Jefferson Block, Jefferson Spool and Zipper & Loop vases.  This guide was made possible by the many E-Bayers who have contributed photographs to this project.

ID Guide to Jefferson Glass Company Vases, Part C:
Novelty and Footed Vases

by curculiosglass

 
A green opalescent Jefferson Spool vase
photo by curculiosglass

INTRODUCTION

          As noted in Part A of this guide, the Jefferson Glass Company was founded in 1900 in Steubenville, Ohio, the county seat of Jefferson County, from which the company took its name.  The company remained in Steubenville until 1907.  From 1900-1906, Jefferson specialized in the making of opalescent glass.  In 1906-1907, the company moved to Follansbee, West Virginia, the Steubenville plant burned down, and Jefferson thereafter specialized in producing non-opalescent crystal until closing its doors in 1933. 

          Jefferson designed at least nine conventionally-shaped vases and whimsey vases, shown in Part A and Part B of this guide.  In addition, Jefferson issued a variety of novelty and footed vase patterns that are featured here.  They include:  Aurora Borealis, Dahlia Twist, Fluted Bars & Beads, Jefferson Block, Jefferson Spool and Zipper & Loop.  Part D features two additional novelty Jack-in-the-Pulpit vase patterns:  Single Lily Spool and Twisted Rope.  All were produced by Jefferson between 1900 and 1907. 

            Jefferson's opalescent vases typically were made in three colors:  green, blue and white (also called "flint").  Jefferson's blue is a rich shade that borders on aqua.  Its green is customarily a bright pure green, although occasionally a Jefferson opalescent vase is found in an unusual shade of dark emerald green.   Cranberry frit decoration on vase rims is a hallmark of Jefferson often used to identify its vases; several of the novelty vases shown here are found with cranberry frit.  On rare occasions, vases appear with blue and green frit edging as well.    

          In addition, Jefferson issued a number of vases in the yellowish color known as "canary."  Canary glass, also known as "vaseline" glass, contains uranium dioxide as a colorant, which makes the glass glow bright green under a black light.  According to David A. Peterson, author of Vaseline Glass:  Canary to Contemporary, p. 181, Jefferson "produced some of the finest vaseline glass during the early part of the 20th century".  Vase patterns made in canary opalescent include Jefferson's Block celery vase, Fluted Bars and Beads, Jefferson's Spool, Twisted Rope, Jefferson's Stripe, Jefferson Spatter, Convex Rib and Opal Urn, as well as the patterns called Astro, Barbells and Iris with Meander, which occasionally appear as bowls whimseyed into vases or hats.  According to Peterson (p. 184), Jefferson's canary opalescent pieces were made between 1903 and 1905.

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE TO
JEFFERSON NOVELTY AND FOOTED VASES

Aurora Borealis vase, with vase illustration
from 1903 Pottery & Glass Review advertisement
left photo courtesy of onlineoutpost26

Aurora Borealis.  This wonderful novelty vase pattern precedes the Art Deco movement by twenty years, and yet has a curiously Art Deco look to it.  According to William Heacock, author of Opalescent Glass from A to Z (p. 27), Jefferson issued its Aurora Borealis vase in 1903.  The pattern features a conical stem that rises to an opening with six pointed flames.  The outside of the vase is decorated with an aquatic design of wavy lines and bubbles.  The vase has three handles and three feet; the feet fasten onto a triangular base covered with rows of molded circles.  Jefferson made Aurora Borealis vases in white, blue and green opalescent.  Blue is the most valuable color in these vases, followed by green and then white.  The Aurora Borealis pattern is referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., at p. 19. 

 

A scarce blue opalescent Dahlia Twist vase
photos by  gailcat1

Dahlia Twist.  Original sold under the name Jefferson's #207,  Dahlia Twist vases were issued by Jefferson in 1905.  The vases are referenced on pp. 47 & 238 of the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., which deems Dahlia Twist vases "scarce."   As shown above, the pattern features a cone-shaped vase with a clockwise swirl design, a flared and ruffled top and a circular, smooth base.  Immediately below the vase's top ruffle is a circlet of five-petaled flowers.  Jefferson's novelty and footed vases often feature playful and inventive interior designs:  The SEOG's authors write of this unusual vase that "the real interest comes in the ribbing that is twisted against an interior optic that runs in the opposite direction."  As can be seen in the photo at page top, the intriguing interior counter-clockwise swirl design is quite visible from a bird's-eye view of the vase.  Jefferson issued Dahlia Twist vases in white, green and blue opalescent glass.  Blue is the most valuable, followed by green and then white. The vase shown here is 7" tall. 

A scarce canary opalescent Dahlia Twist epergne
photo by  topshelfantiques

Dahlia Twist epergne.  Jefferson also issued its Dahlia Twist pattern in the shape of a lily vase meant to hold a single flower.  Such lily vases were made to fit into decorative metal holders such as the one shown here.  Dalhia Twist lily vases, also deemed "scarce" by the Standard Encylopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., pp 47, 238, and are found in blue, green, white and vaseline opalescent.

 

Fluted Bars & Beads whimsey vase
with details of exterior panels (bottom right) and of interior (top)

photos by jetcitykid

Fluted Bars and Beads.   This elaborate pattern features bands of beads and concentric circles near the top and bottom of a cone-shaped stemmed vase; between the bands of beads are vertical rows of raised smooth panels or "bars".  The raised bars can be felt both on the interior and exterior of the vase; on the outside, the bars are separated by strips of narrow horizontal lines, as shown in the above detail photograph.  Like the Dahlia Twist vase shown above, this pattern strives to achieve a novel effect through its interior design -- when viewed from above, the vase shows a pattern that looks like a long-petaled daisy; this design is created by the bar panels, which join at the stem below.  The top of the vase is ruffled and the base is circular and smooth underneath; the base's top is decorated with molded concentric circles.  Jefferson issued this pattern chiefly in compotes.  The vase shown above was whimseyed from a compote mould.  Rose bowls in which the ruffles are turned inward were made from the same mould.   Jefferson produced the pattern in 1904, and it is referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., at p. 75.  Fluted Bars & Beads vases appear in canary, blue, green and white, and often have a cranberry frit top such as that shown on the Jefferson Block celery vase below.  Canary vases are considered the most valuable, followed closely by blue, and then green and white.  The Fluted Bars & Beads whimsey vase shown here is 6 3/4" tall. 

    

Jefferson Block vase
in canary with a speckled-cranberry frit  (left)
and in white, with a speckled-blue frit (right).

photos by 3trid  and  artisanantiques

Jefferson Block.  This pattern features perpendicular lines that form a grid on the middle section of  a curved vase.  The vase narrows at the top and then widens into a ruffle.  Both celery vases shown above are 6" tall, with 3 1/4 - 3 1/2" round bases and speckled frits.  Once thought to be a Northwood product and even known as "Northwood Block," this vase pattern has been attributed to Jefferson in recent years after being found in old Jefferson advertisements.  Jefferson issued Block vases between 1900 and 1907 in white, blue, green and canary.  According to the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., p. 27, where the vases are referenced, they are most valuable in blue; green and canary are equally valuable, followed by white.  The SEOG notes that Jefferson's Block vases may appear with speckled-cranberry frit or a "rare" green frit top.  We are very fortunate to have the above right photograph from an E-Bayer showing that Block vases were made with speckled-blue frit as well; this vase appeared on E-Bay in June, 2007.  The vase shown above left is an example of Jefferson's greenish-yellow canary glass -- in the photograph, the vase has been placed under a black light and thus glows bright green.  According to David A. Peterson in Vaseline Glass:  Canary to Contemporary, p. 182, Jefferson issued both its Block pattern, as well as its canary glass pieces generally, circa 1903-1905.  The Block pattern is a basic early 1900's design; the Jefferson novelty vase pattern closely resembles later Beaded Block celery vases issued by the Imperial Glass Company beginning in 1913.

A white opalescent Jefferson Spool vase
with cranbery frit

photo by curculiosglass

Jefferson Spool.  This vase is shown directly above and also at the top of this guide page.  The pattern, named by William Heacock, is often listed as "Jefferson Spool" rather than simply "Spool".  The longer name helps distinguish the vase from two stemmed-piece patterns known as Spool and Spool of Threads, issued by the Northwood glass company in 1902.  Jefferson's Spool vase is referenced in the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed.,  at p. 91.  The vase shown above is 8" tall with a 3 5/8" base.  The vase's stem slopes outward at the bottom, and the upper third swells into a globe shape topped by a ruffle.  The vase looks like a large thread spool used in an old textile factory:  the pattern features a series of closely grouped, thread-thin grooves that circle the vase from top to bottom.  The molded thread pattern mimics a glass-decoration technique known as "threading," in which a thin strand of molten glass is wound around a blown-glass object.  (A close-up of a threaded vase's surface can be viewed in  Part D of this guide).

          According to William Heacock in Opalescent Glass from A to Z, p. 70, Jefferson Spool vases were made in 1905.  Jefferson issued its Spool vases in canary, blue, green and white.  Infrequently, spool vases are found with cranberry frit around the rims;.  Two white spool vases with cranberry frit appeared on E-Bay in August and September, 2008; one is shown above.  

          The 8" Jefferson Spool vase shown above is characterized as a "hyacinth vase," because this shape of vase was used for growing hyacinth flowers from bulbs:  a bulb was placed in the upper globe-shaped area, where the bulb remained suspended while its roots draped downward into the bottom portion of the vase, which was filled with water.  A single hyacinth flower sprouted upward from the vase.  We've tried this, and it works:  force the bulb by keeping it in a cool place for about 8 weeks; then fill the vase with water and put the bulb on top; keep the vase in sunlight for ten days; once roots have grown into the water, green sprouts will appear and then the flower will emerge and last about two weeks.

          Jefferson also issued a "Jefferson Spool Variant" -- to make the variant, the bottom half of Jefferson's Spool vase was cut off to create a short, half-size vase.

Zipper & Loops vase
photo by lonnie100

Zipper & Loops.  As shown in the photo above, this vase pattern features six transparent wide panels separated by six narrow panels of zipper-like designs.  The rim of the vase tends to show heavy milky opalescence.  The zipper designs extend slightly onto the otherwise smooth circular base in six short zippered feet.  Jefferson issued Zipper & Loops footed vases in 1908, according to the Standard Encyclopedia of Opalescent Glass, 5th ed., at p. 176, where the vases are referenced.  William Heacock, however, believed the vases were issued earlier, and records them as being produced circa 1903, at. p. 215 of Opalescent Glass from A to Z.  Vases come in 2 sizes:  7" and 11 1/2", and have been documented in blue, green and white.  Although blue is the most valuable color in many Jefferson novelty vases, in this pattern, green is the most desirable and valuable color, followed by blue and then white.

To see three more novelty vase patterns, continue on to Part D.

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Jefferson Vase Guide Table of Contents

A. Conventional vases        B. Whimsey vases        D. Jack-in-the Pulpit vases         E. Striped Vases         F. Bulbous Vases

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          Many thanks to E-Bayers   3trid,  artisanantiques,  gailcat1,   jetcitykid,   lonnie100  (White River Antiques),  onlineoutpost26  and  topshelfantiques,  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 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 direct other readers to this guide, tell them:  (1) Click on "site map" at the bottom of the E-Bay Screen; (2) Go to "Buyer Resources" and click on "Reviews and Guides;"  (3) Enter "Jefferson Opalescent Vases - ID GUIDE - Novelty Vases".  To read our other guides on carnival and opalescent vases, click on  GUIDE INDEX.