Carnival Glass Bowls On Their Way Back
Carnival glass bowls are part of a larger collection of collectable items called carnival glass. Carnival glass is an inexpensive pressed glass to which an iridescent coating has been applied, giving it an oil-like sheen. The process is sometimes known as doping, leading some glass manufacturers to call it "dope glass". It originated in the early 1900s, and production waned in the mid to late thirties.
The glass manufacturer Fenton is the first, largest and widely recognized producer of carnival glass. To start with, this company decorated blank glass produced by other companies. In 1907 they started creating carnival glass. Fenton marketed its glassware immediately after starting production as "Iridill" or iridescent ware. This became popular and many other companies followed suit by making and marketing their own carnival glass bowls.
In the late twenties, demand for their products began to wane. This was due to the decrease in sales during the Depression, and also in part to the saturation of the market by glass companies. To get rid of stock, companies began selling their wares at deeply discounted prices to carnivals, which the carnivals then used as prizes for their games. Several companies went out of business during this period.
Carnival glass bowls experienced resurgence in popularity during the fifties. The term "carnival glass" was given to these items by the collectors after learning of their term as carnival prizes. Reproduction of carnival glass bowls were started by many companies. To this day carnival glass, particularly antique Fenton glass, is a prized collectable
Presently, carnival glass can be found in auctions, antique shops, and online for various prices. Fenton antique glass fetches high prices, as well as other well-known carnival glass. Some of the more common colors are marigold, as well as dark hues like blue and green. The most prized and pricey kinds of carnival glass bowls are red or pastel colored. One rare ice-blue plate even sold for $16,327.55 on a popular auction website!
There are many resources available for a would- be collector. Many books and websites are available containing information on antiques, their shapes, colors and where they came from. A great way to learn more about antique collecting is through joining organizations of would-be enthusiast.
One great collectible is carnival glass bowls. These are produced by pressing the glass and coating it which gives it shiny look. This process is known as doping, hence this glass is also sometimes referred to as dope glass. Adopted in the early 1900s it lasted only till the mid to late thirties, and today is extinct. One company, fenton glassware was marketed as "Iridill" or iridescent ware. It quickly became a hit and many other companies began copying them. The demand for their products began to decline in the late twenties. Today, both the antique fenton glass and the later styles are prized.
Published August 10th, 2007