Topic: pressed glass top hat

[Paul S.]

One of the first things I look for on glass is evidence of wear, and there seems to be nothing at all on this pressed glass item.     I assume its simply white vitro-procelain.
the pressed pattern is the fairly common sunburst/daisy wheel and hobnail - height is 8.5 cms. and widest part at the brim of the hat is 11.5cms.  No marks whatsoever as to the maker, and I can't see it in either Slack or Lattimore.     So clean its almost as tho is was made yesterday.   Anyone got any ideas please.    thanks       Paul.

[glass]

This may be it.

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[TxSilver]

It is probably a Fenton daisy and button milk glass top hat. Fenton did not sign these. There is a link to one on Replacements.ltd at http://www.replacements.com/webquote/FENDABMG.htm?s1=gbase&1377138&. It is the bottom link on the page.

[glass]

Hi Anita, was this Fenton hat produced c1950?

[TxSilver]

I am not sure when Fenton made the hat. Some other companies also made the daisy and button top hats, but I don't know the years for the pieces. They are usually listed as 1950s-70s style glass. I'm sure that a Fenton expert will come along with the right years.

[TxSilver]

I just checked a few of the listings online. One listing said the hats were from the 1970s. This sounds reasonable, since the 1970s was a popular time for making the old EAPG patterns in modern glass. However, I would be more confident reading it in a documented source.

[jsmeasell]

This looks like our product, and the Daisy and Button top hat is shown in Milk Glass in two different sizes in our 1955 catalog.

[Paul S.]

thanks everyone  -  although like the first post, I assumed it was a late C19 item made in England.   However, I must learn to google questions before posting, it wud save peoples' time.     Being an older person I tend not to be aware of the search potential of the computer.   
Why, however, is it called 'Milk Glass'  -  when there is a case for priority with Sowerby's 1877 trade name of Vitro Porcelain - the product is simply an opaque white glass.                Is this just another case of Vaseline versus Uranium???                   Paul.

[jsmeasell]

In the 19th century, glassmakers called this sort of glass "opal" (pronounced "o-pal"). The term vitro-porcelain is Sowerby's sales term for glass colors that resemble fine porcelain.

In the US, glass collectors and dealers began to use the term Milk Glass to describe opaque white glass in the 1920s-30s. The phrase stuck, and a landmark book was titled Milk Glass in the 1940s. Several glass manufacturers, including Fenton, soon adopted the term Milk Glass in their sales literature in the late 1940s and 50s (earlier, we had called it Moonstone!).

 

[Paul S.]

thanks James, appreciate the explanation  -  I was hoping it was English, late C19.     Therefore probably not an area that I wud collect.   Anyone want a Fenton Top Hat!     cheers            Paul.