We’ve been talking about Floragold lately (bowls here, interesting pieces here and beverage sets here), but what is this pattern? Is it depression glass?
Floragold Ruffled 5 1/2 Inch Bowl
Strictly speaking Floragold shouldn’t be considered depression glass because Jeannette produced it in the 1950s and later. The pattern is styled like depression glass, with raised mold-etched flowers and leaves, and the shapes are similar to Iris and Herringbone. You’ll often see it grouped with depression glass and that makes sense to me.
Early collectors nicknamed this “Louisa” because there is a much older carnival glass pattern that looks a lot like Floragold, same marigold iridescent color, similar flowers and leaves. A kind reader of this blog sent me a photo of a piece of real Louisa carnival glass and you can see how close Jeannette followed the design.
Westmoreland Louisa Carnival Nut Bowl
From what I was able to research, Westmoreland made the original Louisa about 1910, possibly in more colors than the marigold iridescent. I doubt it was made in dinnerware because glass was mostly used for drinkware and accessory pieces during the 1910s. (Glass dinnerware was an innovation of the late 1920s.)
Jeannette made our Floragold in a full dinnerware set, with a few tumblers and several accessory pieces. Supposedly you can find footed comports in shell pink (an opaque pale pink glass), ice blue and crystal, but I’ve only ever seen the marigold iridescent color.
It’s an easy pattern to collect, with lots of pieces to choose from, good availability and reasonable prices. Do be aware that some iridescent pieces have uneven color, as is true for other iridescent pieces of the era. The glass is thick and some pieces are quite heavy, a consideration for serving pieces and pitchers that could be hard to hold. If you enjoy this style, I suggest you try a few of the accessory pieces, like the candy dish, or a ruffled bowl to start