New Glass, Old Glass: Two Nice Finds

I had a doctor appointment today, which pretty much took up my whole day. But there was time to go do a little thrifting afterwards, and I found two things I wanted to share.

First is this gorgeous Blenko pitcher. Those who have been readers for a while know my love of Blenko glass, which is made right here in West Virginia. Their clear colors and clean lines just really speak to me, and in front of a window? Heart-stopping. This pitcher was made around 1990 in the color Blenko calls Dusty Rose.

Each of their designs are given a number. This is 9027-S (for Short, I suppose, since the 9020-L is 4 inches taller). It's heavy, and at 8 1/2" a nice size.

The second piece is another love of mine, Early American Pattern Glass. It's completely at the other end of the spectrum: ornate and old, dating to 1870-1914. This particular piece is a compote in the Job's Tears pattern, made about 1880-1890 by Adams & Company.

It's heavy, the one thing it does have in common with Blenko glass. Most of what I have found in the old glass is in crystal; although there are some colors they are harder to find and generally more expensive. I seem to be getting quite a collection of compotes without really trying--I believe I have 15-20 of them now.
It's the same story as the Blenko; I started with one piece, learned about the glass and got hooked.

So even though going to the doc isn't fun, I did end up having a pretty good day anyway!

If you are interested in glass, there are quite a few groups on Facebook that are invaluable resources. The Blenko Collectors group has excellent files, friendly experts and even a few of the glass designers as members. The Early American Pattern Glass group is also welcoming and knowledgeable. The only caution to joining either is to be prepared to do your homework before asking for help! Read their pinned posts, look at the files and become familiar with the resources they offer before jumping in with a piece to identify. You'll save yourself some embarrassment and you'll save time for all the busy group members. I've certainly learned a lot by being a member of these groups, even if I am often just the fly on the wall, reading and learning from the excellent posts of other members.

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