“Oh my God,” I heard the woman exclaim loudly. I’m sure she didn’t mean for everyone in the room at the auction house to hear her. But most of us had the same reaction when we saw the long table chocked full of cut glass.
It looked like a field of deep-cut faux crystal, glimmering from the overhead lights in the room.
There was a variety of patterns and wares, including serving and candy bowls, pitchers, decanters, creamers, sugar bowls, cups and trays. They looked to be in impeccable condition; I didn’t notice any chips on them (but with so much of the glassware, blemishes would be hard to spot).
The sad thing about this type of glassware is that nobody wants it anymore. I have been at sales where auctioneers almost had to give away the stuff.
This cut glass appeared to be the garden variety that you can pick up at any department store. The good stuff, American Brilliant Cut Glass, has its share of collectors and its own association. Much of it can be hard to identify because it is unsigned and the paper labels from manufacturers would have disappeared ages ago. The American Cut Glass Association defines cut glass as glass that was created solely through cutting by hand.
Brilliant cut glass was made in this country from 1876 to 1917 during what is called the “Brilliant Period.” Glass-making in this country had begun in Jamestown, VA, in the 17th century but cut glass did not arrive until 1771 when a German immigrant named Henry William Stiegel founded a glass factory in Manheim, PA.
Originally, only people of means could afford Brilliant cut glass, which was called “rich cut glass” because it was costly and indicated that the owners were affluent.
Those folks preferred European glass, but that changed during the latter part of the 18th century when American companies won awards for their glassware at expositions in this country and abroad. Several companies here made cut glass, including Libbey, and it came in such patterns as Hobstar, strawberry diamond and punty cut. Here are some tips for identifying Brilliant and antique glass.
By World War I, Brilliant cut glass had lost its luster and fallen out of favor. Most of the glass made from around 1930 to 1965 is said to be pressed glass that was machine made and more affordable.
I don’t know if any of the glass at auction was American Brilliant, but it was likely the stuff that most of our families picked up at a department store, and either used it or stored it in a china cabinet untouched.
Here is a sampling of the glassware at the auction:
