Fenton Art Glass Is Very Collectible
WHAT IS IT?
This is a 7-inch-wide, footed, glass bonbon dish with a blue opalescent ruffled edge, probably from the Fenton Art Glass Co. in West Virginia.
WHAT’S THE LEGEND?
This dish belongs to Huntington Beach resident Janet Ewell. “I have been unable to discover anything about this glass bowl. The family story is that it came across the Plains to Oregon in a flour barrel, brought by an English immigrant who was a shoemaker’s daughter from London,” Ewell said.
WHAT’S ITS HISTORY?
“This appears to be Fenton glass,” said Gloria Loudon, owner of Grandma’s Cottage Heirloom Antiques in Costa Mesa. “The Fenton factory was founded in 1905, so I doubt it was carried in a flour barrel across the Plains. Or if it was in a flour barrel, it was not in a covered wagon, as the plate appears to have been made in the 1940s. Fenton glass was originally marked with paper labels, but since the 1970s ‘Fenton’ has been stamped in the glass.”
The company’s desire to develop new and unusual colors helped keep it in the forefront of the handmade art-glass industry. From 1905 to the 1920s, Tiffany and Steuben influenced Fenton. During the ‘30s and ‘40s, the company produced practical items, such as bowls and tableware to get through the Depression.
The company continues to make art glass, and even contemporary pieces are prized.
WHY IS IT POPULAR?
The glass is very collectible, says Loudon, who often has trouble keeping it stocked in her store. “People like the unusual colors, and it falls in the Carnival glass category.”
WHAT IS IT WORTH TODAY?
Loudon estimates the piece is worth $145 to $165 because of its unusual color and design. She hasn’t seen a dish quite like it.
CAN I LEARN MORE?
There is an extensive Web site (https://www.fentonartglass.com) that lists books on the subject, a short history, links to other sites and information about glass-making tours at the factory in West Virginia. Books about collecting have pages on Fenton as well as prices. There are more than 50 pieces of Fenton on sale on https://www.ebay.com, with prices from $5 to $250.
* To have an item considered for this column, send information, a photograph of it and a phone number to: What’s It Worth?, Home Design, The Times’ Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
