Featured Discussion: Is It Bohemian Enameled Glass Or Is It American? Also Mary Gregory Glass Too...

Hi guys! I hope all of you are doing well. My usual collecting forte is antique German and French bisque dolls. I have been collecting many different kinds of antiques also, but am definitely not an expert in anything. I just like things from the Victorian era and early 20th Century. I also love things specifically from the Art Nouveau movement.

About a year ago I got hooked on collecting boxes, especially glass and porcelain ones. I like anything enameled and hand painted. About two weeks I ago I specifically added two antique C.F. Monroe Wavecrest opalware dresser boxes to my growing collection for the first time. Both designs are known as Helmschmied Swirls. I googled the history of the company until my fingers bled, but still have a thirst to know more...

What I have noticed is a lot of antique glass enameled boxes on the market are usually called "Moser Glass" or "Bohemian Glass". Anything with Mary Gregory type paintings, painted flowers or painted designs all seem to get that Bohemian moniker. For many years I assumed it was true. However, I am starting to become perplexed because as I have been finding Wavecrest or Wavecrest style boxes that are half opalware, half clear colored glass with enamel like the Bohemian ones.

In the pictures I looked at, one half of these boxes really look like American Wavecrest, or Mount Washington opalware glass, but the other half of the boxes look like the so called Bohemian ones. Most of these boxes identified as being Moser Bohemian glass.

Could all along the ones that I thought were "Moser or Bohemian", be American? I heard that Mary Gregory an American glass decorator never even existed, while others swear this person did work for the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. I am getting myself confused now.

Here are some of the boxes in my collection (pics included), along with the two definite Wavecreset opalware boxes in my collection.

One is apple green with a Mary Gregory style lady painted, another is a pink shell design shaped box with flowers. I am now thinking that they may not be Bohemian after all, but American. Another is a footed, enameled amber/topaz colored box and another is a blue satin glass enameled flower footed box. Anyone know who may have made them? Could American glass makers have gotten glass blanks from Czechoslovakia and painted them in American glass factories by any chance?

The last 3 pictures are of boxes that aren't mine. I found these pics on the internet with half Wavecrest style opaque opalware glass and half clear colored glass and another is a blue footed Mary Gregory Style Box.

If anyone really knows there glass and can educate me, I would love to be your pupil. Thanks so much in advance for all of your replies.

 

Sorry If I added so many pictures. I am new here and don't know if this is proper etiquette. If it is not, I apologize.

 

Unique and Lovely looking, but I'm not the one to help!!! Others who ARE in the know, WILL be along though! I would suggest to point out which ARE YOURS and if they have marks on the bottom (or wherever) to please show the marks too!! There are multiple "Glassies" on this site who know their 'stuff'.... just not me....although I do appreciate it!!!

 

Oh thanks for commenting! I appreciate this so much! I think I recognize you. Did you used to post on the ebay message board? If yes, hi. Good to see you again.

None of them are marked except the clear glass vase has numbers on the bottom in gold gilt. All the photos are of my items except for the last three pictures. Also, here are two vases I have too that I guess goes into this category of questions...

 

Hi, Sorry, I've never been on ebay except to purchase an item or two, literally!!! But your items ARE lovely!! Not sure how many might check in tonight....being a worldwide site, members are on at all different hours!!

 

Sorry I thought you used to comment on ebay's message boards. Your user named name sounded so familiar to me for some reason. Glad to meet you.

Ha Ha! Since this Covid19 situation, I have been staying up late here in New York, so I am hoping to hear replies coming at at all different times, lol. This board really is great and it helps pass the time during lock down. I hope you and your family are staying safe.

 

Your boxes are STUNNING .. Very nice indeed !!! ... Joy. ..

 

Welcome. Your boxes are beautiful,but glass isntmy forte . There are members who are very knowledgeable but live in different time zones and countries,so check back often.

 

Well thank you very much!!

 

It's so nice to meet you and thank you very much for the complement

 

What we all are calling Mary Gregory wares should be called a broader term. Once it was called Impasta, or Impasta Cameo, referring to the heavy paste applied as paint, then fired to emulate cameo carving. There is no current agreed upon term for this. Your green box with the lady appears to be of this technique, but wouldn't be called Mary Gregory, which almost invariably illustrates Victorian children playing. It is known that the woman painter at Boston & Sandwich named Mary Gregory did NOT paint the children, She painted farm scenes in snow on white glass, using the white of the glass to represent snow on roofs.

 

Awww gee thanks!!!

 

Great information!!! Wow, I am so glad you commented. Thank you so much.

 

#1&2 could be considered Bohemian, and possibly by Moser.
#3 I know is Wavecrest, is #4 as well?

As Cherryhill said, Mary Gregory glass depicts children, some of this glass was done in Czech, and Austria, so those pieces if known to be European might be described as Bohemian. Although I probably wouldn't.


These are interesting. I've not seen anything like this. They almost look like marriages. @Cherryhill any opinion on these? The second one looks like a tumbler with a top.

 

I don't think that there would have been a need for an American glass company to buy glass from Europe.

The English bought Loetz glass and put English silver or brass tops on the flower vases and sold them as English.

ADDING:
Lamp companies are known for buying the parts from different companies/countries and assembling them to sell as their own.

 

I'd have to go with assemblage by a silver mounting shop/company. Mt Washington may have done some of this, not to imply that they did these pieces.

 

Hello, Could anyone please shine some light on my vase, I believe it may be Webb or MT Washington but i am guessing. Any information would be greatly appreciated, kind regards yvonne thankyou

 

@yvonne123 - Welcome to the forum!!

It would be better for you if you started your own thread. This one is several months old & some members might not even look in on any updates.

Also, it would be better to choose "full image" so members do not have to continually click on the smaller photos.

You have a beautiful vase that deserves to be seen by the members who could point you in the right direction.

 

I saw this just now two years later. I think that is a beautiful vase. I do not know who made it though.