Carnival Glass

Carnival Glass is a colored, pressed glassware with a fired-on iridescent finish made in the United States from about 1905 to 1925. Most of the Carnival Glass was made by four companies; Fenton Art Glass Co., Imperial Glass Co., Millersburg Glass Co., and Northwood Glass Co. Not originally called Carnival Glass the name came into use after the 1920's, when the glass was used as prizes at carnivals and fairs. Much of the iridescent, machine-made glassware, which appeared between the 1920’s and the 1940’s, is known as Depression Glass. New Carnival Glass comprising new issues, specialty items, and reproductions have been produced since 1962.

Among the most striking characteristics of Carnival Glass are its distinctive colors and sparkling iridescence. The colors in Carnival Glass can be divided into two main categories: bright colors, red, blue, green, purple, amethyst, amber, marigold, and pastel colors of clear, white, clambroth (pale yellow), lavender, aqua, and smoky. Carnival Glass was given its iridescence by spraying each piece with metallic salts, re-firing, and then re-cooling the piece. Different combinations of metals produced different effects.

Patterns on glassware were made possible by the invention and development of machines for processing glass during the early 19th Century. Pattern glass became heavily decorated toward the close of the 19th Century, and the designs showed the influence of all historical periods and styles from the earliest simple classic designs to the elaborate patterns popular during the late Victorian era. Carnival Glass patterns may be divided into several categories: geometric, naturalistic and ornamental.

Carnival Glass was first manufactured in decorative shapes such as vases and bowls. They became so popular other household items were soon produced such as water sets, dresser sets, lamps and more. The most popular shapes were vases, bowls (with matching stands), footed bowls, compotes, rose bowls, nappies, bonbons, table sets, water sets, tumblers, bottles, plates, baskets, hats, candlesticks, and hatpins.