Decanters. How old are they?? Best guess

Picked these up at auction for AU$75 in a bidding war (damn it) and you should have seen the grey/black/green patina with hairs on the milk glass one. The auction photo doesn't do it justice. Decided I had to at least clean the lid and top as well as fix the hinge but left the handle with it's patina on it. Just scrubbed it lightly to clean it up. There are no hallmarks on either nor pontil marks as they both probably pressed glass so that might give an earliest date of 1840ish. I had to give it some serious elbow grease to clean the top and at no time did I see a layer of silver coming off. So I'm thinking either the layer was already gone, there never was a silver layer as it's some kind of metal imitation of silver or it's solid continental silver. Not sure what. Any ideas? As for the fiddly bits they are soldered on. The other one has a loose top and will need plaster of paris to put it back together. I'll get to that next.


So the question is how old do you think they are?


Cheers

stephen

 

From the base and fitments , I think your white milk glass one is no earlier than the 1920s and possibly later than that. The clear one looks Edwardian. Don't be be deceived by the lack of pontil on that one, it's hand cut. The milk glass is indeed moulded.

They aren't decanters by the way, they're claret jugs. Both probably English.

 

You are right. Had a brain fade when I called them decanters. Thanks for the reply.
Cheers
Stephen

 

I do that all the time.

 

I like those, very neat!

Do you by any chance have some pieces of milk glass that you know for sure are at least 80 years old? Made before 1940? If so, let us know.

My guess on those was 1950s, but you should be able to confirm it if you have an older piece to compare with.

 

YUUUUUMMMMM!!!!! VERY nice!!!

 

Hi The Old Guy,
I have several pieces of milk glass from the turn of the century. They are opaque and white but not as dense as later milk glass.
greg

 

There's certainly 1920s British glass with that density. I'll dig out my Hajdamach books and see if there's any clues.

 

Sorry, it's not the density, but the chemical ingredients.

Concerning color. Many who are not mg (milk glass) obsessed are not aware that mg does not mean "white." It comes in just about every color including black. If you want to know where "milk glass" moniker came from, ask. It might double this note, though.

Some commercial sellers will tout the translucence, iridescence, reddish glow, as proof of age. Fact is it could, but not as they claim. Roughly 80, 90% of the iridescence is on new glass, like yesterday's. Few of the antique mg makers produced that look. Dithridge 1860 +_ to 1903 was one, and they are one of the highly sought after for their quality, but not because the color was "thinner."

Many of the early companies, like Westmoreland, originally called it opal, as in opalescent. Others, such as Atterbury, made it more opaque. It varies.

Maybe I should start taking some of the new medicine that improves your memory. (If I believe it works, then it will. Nothing to do with the pill, it's just what you believe that will help.) I CANNOT DRAG OUT OF MY HEAD the name of the chemical that was banned in the early 1940s - in glass making. That created a different feel and is an excellent way to identify pre and post 40s milk glass.

Anyone here recall that?

 

Uranium?

 

UMMMMM? If it was there.
But there was something else less explosive.

 

I found this?
In the 1960’s the EPA banned the use of fluorite because of evidence of it leaking into the rivers and polluting our water systems. After this, production of milk glass obviously dropped off and manufactures had to find newer and safer methods to produce the glass.

 

You may very well be right, OB. My first reaction was "Iran or North Korea?"

Or maybe just "vaseline glass?"

In any event, they banned something that affected the FEEL of milk glass. Maybe it was what dgbjwc said. (Sorry, also lost your name) but I'm not aware of mg production declining at that time.

Anyone with some milk glass handy, try this. It does work but might take more than a few tests before you feel confident.

Gather a few pieces that you know pre-date 1940, and a few you know are late 40s or after. Like any Westmoreland piece with the entwined WG logo.
Dry your hand thoroughly and then run a few fingers against a smooth part of the older glass piece. Usually inside. Dry again and repeat that with a newer piece. Notice the difference?
The new, compared to the old, will be "slippery." Almost oily. The old will be very dry in comparison.

Most folks don't get it the first time. I know it took me more than a few to recognize the difference. But once you "get it" you'll like it. Many dealers have asked me why I'm wiping my hand on my Levi's and then a piece of glass. I offer a trade - over the usual 10% off and I'll teach them something very useful.

Let me know if you try it, especially if successful. TIA