Fostoria Glass Romance Etched Lily Pond Shallow Bowl

Vintage glassware is such a romantic collectible.  Someone owned this before you; someone treasured it and now it is yours.  What a wonderful way to have a connection to the past.

Here is a shallow bowl in Fostoria’s well-named Romance etched crystal.  Yes, Romance is the name of this pattern that has bouquets of flowers all tied into nosegays with ribbons and bows.  You can see the ribbon circling the piece to connect the posies.

This style of bowl is great to hold fruit and even better used to float roses or peonies.  It is called a lily bowl or lily pond and you can imagine how your favorite lily blossoms would look in here.

Romance is very like the earlier June pattern from Fostoria Glass.  June threads a second ribbon through the flowers in a U shape and Fostoria used it on different shapes.  Romance dates to the 1950s and 60s and has the clean simple lines so popular then.  June was earlier and mostly on the Fairfax blank which had a little more complex design.  Another way to tell is that Romance came in crystal only.  You can find June in pink, topaz yellow and blue besides crystal.

Both patterns are beautiful.  Of course if you like colored glassware then pick June and if you relish clear crystal in simple curvy shapes then Romance is for you.  Romance is considerably less costly than June and may be more plentiful.  You won’t go wrong with either pattern.

An earlier post about June suggested it as a unique wedding gift.  Likewise, Romance will be a fun gift for someone special too.  The name is perfect for a shower gift, wedding gift or best yet, a couple celebrating their anniversary.

If you are interested in Romance etched glassware then please check our store Cat Lady Kate’s Elegant and Depression Glass.

Welcome to this week’s Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly of How Sweet the Sound.  This is fun to share and I appreciate you visiting me.

Fostoria Glass Versailles Etched Pink Console Bowl

Today we’re looking at a beautiful console bowl from Fostoria Glass.  This is Versailles etch with its central fan motif surrounded by lush scrolls and swags.  Last week I showed the blue Versailles etched glassware and today pink gets to shine.

Isn’t this a pretty piece?  I love the way the shape flows up, out, down and then sweeps back up.  Very elegant.  This is quality vintage etched crystal, made from 1928 right up to 1943.  Fostoria made several patterns with scrolls and swags during this period, including Vernon and June, and Versailles is right up there with its classic good looks.

If you like this please visit our store at Cat Lady Kate’s Elegant and Depression Glass for more glassware in rainbow of colors, pink, green, blue, amber, topaz yellow, amethyst and more.

Fostoria Glass Chintz Etched Crystal 4-Toed Wing Handled Large Salad Bowl

Looking for that perfect large bowl for your specialty salad and want something out of the ordinary with looks and pizazz?  When I look at this beautiful etched crystal bowl I think Caesar salad – you know, full of crisp romaine lettuce, all garlicky and crunchy croutons.  The handles would make it easy to hold (the bowl is well balanced) and pass around the table, always assuming I want to share.

When Fostoria made this piece they showed it as part of a console set.  Console sets were decorations that had a big bowl and two candle holder that people set on a side table.  That’s a nice idea, but today we look for glass that is not only decorative but useful too.  I expect that the lucky person who buys this will leave it displayed on a table or on their shelf and get it out when they want a special bowl for salad or fruit.  We use a glass bowl for melon balls with blackberries and blueberries in the summer that looks fabulous.

A piece like this makes a superb wedding gift to the new couple or an anniversary gift for those who enjoy fine home furnishings with a vintage touch.

We specialize in Chintz etched glassware from Fostoria and have a good selection.  Shopping with us is like antiquing with your best friend.  We love glass and we want to share our enjoyment with others.  See us at Cat Lady Kate’s Elegant and Depression Glass for Chintz and other beautiful patterns from Fostoria, Cambridge and depression glass makers.

Cambridge Glass Etch 727 Green Elegant Depression Console Bowl

Recently Bill of Affordable Accoutrements, who writes the most enjoyable blog posts about his imaginative tablescapes, mentioned that he prefers elegant glass to depression glass.  That got me thinking.  Which do you prefer?  Which do I prefer?

For me it’s not as easy a choice as it once was.  When I first started with glass my top 1, 2 and 3 would have been elegant glass.  I appreciated the handwork that went into making these, the skilled craftsmanship, high quality and great clarity and the gorgeous designs.  How can you beat an etched pattern like the Cambridge green bowl?

The more I worked with depression glass the more I liked it.  Here’s why.

Depression glass is colored and the transparent greens, blues, ambers, yellows and pinks are beautiful spots of color.  Glass looks wonderful when it catches the light and depression glass adds its charming colors.

Depression glass has some truly beautiful patterns.  The piece below is a simple sherbet from Hazel Atlas, Florentine Poppy 1 green depression glass.  The pattern is mold etched so it can be mass produced, but isn’t this a pretty design?

Florentine Poppy 2 Green Depression Glass Cup

But I keep coming back to the colors.  It’s the colors in depression glass that have the siren call.

What about elegant glass?  Isn’t there elegant glass that is colored?  Yes, of course.  Top end glass makers like Fostoria, Cambridge and Tiffin went headlong into the colored ware during the early 1930s.

In fact, that’s why this post started off with the Cambridge green console bowl, elegant colored glass of the depression era.  Wow, what a great compromise!   We can have beautiful colors, high end workmanship, gorgeous design and great quality.   That’s what you call a happy ending.

Fostoria Glass Versailles Etched Green Flared Console Bowl

I was thinking this evening about what are my favorite pieces and this is definitely in the running.  This is stunning and the photo does not come close to showing how the deep green glass shows off the fan and scroll etch or how the three footed triangle shape is perfect.

Fostoria etched Versailles on green, blue, pink and amber.  I have all three colors listed – Versailles is one of the patterns we specialize in – and vacillate between the green and the blue as my favorite.  Green?  Blue?? Both?  I don’t care for the pink as much.

Fostoria made Versailles from 1928 to 1936, so through the first half of the difficult depression period.  They used the Fairfax blank for stemware which has clear crystal foot and stem and colored bowl.  The stemware is choice.  I have a few piece – it sells quickly although it’s rather pricey.

If you want to own a spectacular centerpiece you could try this bowl with two of the matching candles.  You don’t need the candles to have a beautiful display although they look superb flanking the bowl as a console set.  Fostoria made several shapes of candles in Versailles and the green ones we have look like miniature bowls with three tab feet.  They match the bowl and the group together is a sight to see!

Cambridge Elegant Depression Glass Urn Swag Etched Green Console Bowl

Isn’t this a gorgeous bowl? It has a rolled rim that flips up at the ends and four tab feet, quite a nice, unusual shape. To top it off, the etch is big urns surrounded by paisley shaped swags and scrolls that repeat around the rim. Console bowls with rolled rims are great to show off the beautiful etches and gorgeous colored glass of the depression era.

This bowl is Cambridge, etch number 739, made during the early part of the 1930s, true elegant depression glass. Cambridge made several etches during this period that don’t have names, only line numbers. You’ll find this one with urns, and another with big splashy flower or sunburst that is called Majestic. They are both beautiful designs that look much better in person on emerald green glass than in a book.

One of the gentlemen at the local flea market saves me glass and this is one of the pieces I got from him. He knows I cannot resist etched green bowls!

Lancaster Glass Cane Ladrum Topaz Low Console Bowl

A few days ago we showed off one of my favorite pieces, a green console bowl with a rolled rim and Central Glass Balda etch.   Console bowls are one of the signature peices of the depression era and today we’re showing you a different type altogther.  

This is the low console bowl in Lancaster Glass’ Cane Landrum topaz yellow depression glass.  This looks like etched glass but the design is actually raised.  Lancaster Glass made many patterns that required some hand work – including cut patterns like Jubilee – and they made intricate mold etched glass like this that was mass produced.  

Much of Lancaster’s depression glass had this type of scallop and point design.  They made topaz yellow, a soft beautiful pink, some green and clear glass.  They didn’t produce many completely different lines with different shaped pieces but they creatively used a couple dozen designs and decorations on about 10 different shapes, resulting in many beautiful pieces with graceful swooping shapes and appealing designs.

You have lots of choices with console bowls:   Do you want them flared?  Do you want green, golded topaz, amber, clear crystal, pink or blue?  What sort of etching?  You can even decide to get oval bowls, square bowls or round!

The bowl shown is from Central Glass with their Balda etching, a very nice piece in a color that you will not find often with this etching.