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A Jadeite Basket Mystery


Dear David,

I have a piece of vintage glassware in my possession that I've been trying to do some research on.  It is unmarked, however at this point I think it is likely Fenton.  It is possible that it may be a rare Chalet piece.  I don't know that Chalet ever made any jadeite pieces though.  Can you help?

Truman J.

Truman, after doing some quick research on jadeite baskets, I've come discover that several glassworks created jadeite baskets for the home during the 20th century.  These included, Fenton, Mosser, L.E. Smith in the United States and Stevens & Williams Glass in the United Kingdom.  

Not being familiar with glass baskets myself, I asked several collector friends of mine what they thought.  I also turned to a Facebook forum on identifying antiques to see what people had to say about your basket.  

As it turns out there wasn't one definitive answer from anyone.  Without any markings on the basket, it has become somewhat of a mystery as to the maker of this exquisite piece of glass.  What everyone did agree on, Truman, is that you have a beautiful glass basket.

These three photographs taken by Truman show the different angles.  It's a stunning piece of glass that can grace any table quite elegantly!

Stevens and Williams Glass Basket
This is the only example of a jadeite basket attributed to Stevens and Williams from the U.K. that I came across.  I love the combination of the milky white handle against the opaline green bowl.

L.E. Smith Jadeite
Here we have an example of a hobnail glass basket in jadeite by L.E. Smith Glass.
Fenton Glass
One example of a Fenton Glass basket shows how thick the glass can be from this American glassworks and how dense the color saturation.  For more on Fenton Glass, click here: Fenton Art Glass.

If you are ever curious as to who made your Fenton Glass basket, every piece has their maker's mark on the base of the handle where it attaches to the bowl.  These are the marks of the artists who worked at Fenton.



Chalet Cranberry Glass
Although this basket isn't jadeite, the handle of the Chalet basket (notice the Chalet sticker) is very much like the one on Truman's basket.  Look closely at the bowl of the basket.  Can you see the lattice pattern that goes around the outside base of the bowl?  That pattern is very similar to the one on the jadeite basket below.

So, it is possible that the basket in question is indeed from Chalet Glass manufactured in Canada.


The bottom of the basket shows a definite pontil mark.  


Since I cannot solve this mystery, I'm going to leave it to you, the reader, to help us get some answers if at all possible.  Truman has written to some individuals to see what they had to say about his basket, so when he gets back to me, I will update you.  In the meantime, enjoy collecting!

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Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 23, 2017 at 6:48 PM

    Although this basket looks very similar to Chalet, I'm unaware of any jadeite made by them. A former employee of Chalet, Angelo Rossi, bought much of Chalet's equipment after their closure. He also produces other jadeite glass pieces as well from his shop (still currently operating) in Niagara Falls. Although not 100% identified, I strongly suspect he may be the maker.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Things by DavidMarch 23, 2017 at 7:24 PM

      Great information! Thank you!!

      Delete
    2. UnknownFebruary 12, 2022 at 10:52 AM

      Years later - I have the basket with a label - can confirm it is Rossi Glass - Canada.

      Delete

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