Spirals and Swirls – Twisted Optic from Imperial Glass

This pink ruffled bowl is the first piece of Twisted Optic I ever had.  If you look at it from the top you can see the spirals go to the left, supposedly a good clue to tell Twisted Optic and Hocking Spiral apart.  But I was worried about identifying it on eBay because I couldn’t find the bowl listed in my limited library at the time.   (Gene Florence shows it in his book Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, 19th Edition, called the 7 inch crimped bowl.)

Even apart from the spirals the sure fire clue this is Imperial is the foot on the bowl.  This old photo shows it pretty well.  See how the base has a definite foot, with a indented shape all the way around just above the foot?  That’s one way you can spot Twisted Optic plates and other pieces plus other Imperial patterns.

Plates are the most common pieces around here.  Loren and I saw several at the Allegan Antique Fair last weekend.  This green luncheon plate shows the spirals going to the left.

 

Imperial made a full set of dinnerware with many accessory pieces like a powder jar, basket, multiple vases, in pink and green.  They also made amber, some blue and yellow, ruby and iridescent crystal, but I have never seen anything besides the pink and green.

This Twisted Optic sugar bowl has different handles than the green sugar shown below (which is what Florence shows in his books).  But let’s look at the full piece.  Foot, yes, that’s the Imperial foot.  Spirals, yes, they go to the left when you look from the top.  (I have an awful time visualizing this.)  Imperial used Chippendale style handles on other pieces and given the size and longevity of Twisted Optic, they may have varied the designs over the years.

Here is the green sugar with the usual handle shape.

One of the very few accessory pieces I’ve had is this center handled server with Imperial’s typical spade-shaped open handle and spirals off to the left.  It is a lovely piece.

Over the years I’ve had contact with a very experienced collector of spiral patterned glass, Jim R.  Jim was very helpful a few times including this interesting footed mayo.

The mayo is rather nice glass, and I had thought it might be Spiral Flutes from Duncan.  Jim set me straight and confirmed this is Twisted Optic.

Imperial Glass made both elegant glass like Candlewick and some mass-produced patterns like Diamond Quilted and Twisted Optic.  The bottom rims on Twisted Optic are not ground but the glass quality and finishing details are a step above most depression glass patterns.  The pattern and shapes are appealing and the colors are lovely.

Mary P posted this fan vase with two handles on my Facebook page.  I think it is Twisted Optic.  I recall Jim R sharing pictures of his collection with this same vase.  And I just checked Replacements and found a pink vase pictured that is identical shape but without the gold trim.

Mary’s Spiral Two Handled Fan Vase – Is this Twisted Optic?

What do you think? Is Mary’s vase Twisted Optic?