In addition, some of the colours were coated with white, altering the hues - ie marigold and white is called peach opalescent. Other shades do exist, including black, pastel shades, and many varieties of the main colours such as amber, electric blue or sapphire. The most common shade of carnival glass is marigold, then amethyst, blue, green and red, which is probably the rarest of all. Then the top edges where decorated by crimping. Gorgeous rose bowls and posy bowls could be formed by carefully pinching in the top edges of small basins, while tall vases were elongated by using centrifugal force which had the effect of stretching the malleable glass. They might add some rounded feet or using special tools would pinch or crimp edges, or make ruffles, pleats, frills or scallops. Sometimes they would very gently draw up the edges of a plate into a fluted shape, creating a bowl. So, the glassmakers completed their creations in a variety of ways. The carnival glass manufacturers wanted to create a unique feel and an air of individuality and the glass needed a lot of hand-finishing. Initial products were made from clear glass, but gradually colours were introduced. ![]() ![]() Later, these seam lines would be polished out unless they were hidden in the intricate design. Sometimes moulds were in two or more parts, and a trickle of the molten glass would seep through the gaps. Two moulds were used with the molten glass being poured into the outer mould and then the inner mould or plunger forced inside, under great pressure. ![]() Unlike hand-blown glass which was time-consuming to produce, pressed glass was produced using moulds. Carnival Glass didn't really interest collectors until the late 1950s, and the history of many early companies still isn't fully-researched.Ī trawl through various books on glass produces a variety of dates and it seems that no-one is absolutely certain when the various manufacturers first developed their carnival glass products, although it is known that by 1905 the first cheap, carnival glass, that rivalled the expensive Tiffany glass, was in production.ĭuring the 1880s, hand-operated press moulds were developed by the American glasshouses, which enabled them to produce domestic glassware in large quantities much more cheaply than the traditional methods allowed.
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