Hocking Mayfair Open Rose Pink Depression Glass Cup

In yesterday’s post about taking care of depression glass we showed a Hocking Mayfair pink depression glass sherbet that was all nasty haze from water spotting. I thought you ought to see what a beautiful pattern Hocking’s Mayfair pattern really is.

The nickname for this super pattern is Open Rose and  you can see why in the photo.  There are bouquets of big full blown cabbage rose on panels around the sides of this cup.  It is quite a pretty pattern.

Hocking Glass made Mayfair in pink, light blue, green, some yellow, clear and frosted pink.  You’ll probably find more pink than the other colors and I believe Hocking produced almost every piece in pink although that was not true for all the other colors.   Just looking at the list of pieces produced in my depression glass books by Gene Florence it looks like Hocking green, blue and yellow for most of the different pieces, but the green and yellow are pretty scarce.

There are some reproductions out there, notably a beverage set in some obvious colors like cobalt blue, the cookie jar, shot glass and shakers. Most of these are rather easy to tell apart from the originals. The original pitcher, for example, has a round mold mark on the base and the pattern detail is sharper. If you are interested in collecting Mayfair – and it is one of the most popular patterns – then I recommend Gene Florence’s Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, which gives tips to recognize and avoid repros.

This is a Georgian sherbet from Federal Glass, a very nice and favorite depression glass pattern.  Georgian is nicknamed “Lovebirds” due to the medallion of two lovebirds alternating with basket medallions.

I recently got an email from an eBayer informing me that my sherbet is most likely reproduced because “it was too heavy, too large and not marked with the Federal glassmaker’s mark.”

This individual unfortunately is misinformed, but even more unfortunately, there are guides on eBay and possibly elsewhere that claim glass without the Federal F in a shield is not truly by Federal Glass.

I consulted my reference books by Gene Florence and by Barbara Mauzy and none mention Georgian reproductions.  Further, it is well-established that Federal, like most depression glass makers, marked only a few pieces.

 I emailed a very gracious author, Barbara Mauzy, who was extremely generous with her time and confirmed that Federal marked very few pieces.   “At this time there is no information pertaining to the existence of Georgian reproductions. Yes, some of the pieces are marked, but the vast majority of this pattern is unmarked. The “F” symbol actually would be an interference to the Georgian motif. This is why you rarely see any company’s mark on dinnerware. I hope this helps and relax and love your glass!”

As for the size and weight of my sherbet, the eBay correspondent based their comment solely on the photo, which shows the small sherbet close up.  It is the normal size and weight.

So what does this tell you?  First, if you collect depression glass then learn about your patterns.  There is good information on the internet and there is not-so-good.  Read and ask questions.  I recommend Gene Florence’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass and Barbara Mauzy’s books for excellent discussions of fakes and reproductions. There are patterns that I seldom buy online, such as Cherry Blossom, but if you know your patterns you can buy with confidence.  Here is a post I wrote about my Cherry Blossom butter dish that I got online because I knew what to look for to assure authenticity.

Also, even if pieces are marked, don’t assume they are authentic!  Sad to say, some fake Heisey glass has the H in a diamond mark, and some reissues also have marks.  Your best assurance to buy safely is knowledge!

Jeannette Gass Cherry Blossom Pink Depression Glass Butter Dish with Lid

Quick! What is pink and beautiful with flowers all over? Jeannette’s Cherry Blossom depression glass, that’s what. Cherry Blossom was made through most of the depression, 1930 to 1939, an unusually long time. 

It is a very pretty pattern with some highly unusual and rare pieces.  According to Gene Florence’sCollector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass there have been only two authentic pink salt and pepper shaker sets ever confirmed – although you can find shakers listed online. It was such a popular pattern that during the 1970s several companies made reproduction pieces. It’s always worrisome to buy something when you fear it might be a reproduction, but there has been enough research published to help all of us find and enjoy the real depression glass.

The Cherry Blossom pink butter dish with lid shown here can be authenticated by the fact the lid has two narrow bands around the skirt.  This is shown in the next photo.   If you choose to collect Cherry Blossom you would be wise to buy one or two good depression glass books and become familiar with the various reproductions.  Most are easily told but there are some pieces that are harder to distinguish.