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Black Glass – Beautiful & Functional

By Michalene Kosinski, Antiques and Collectibles Mall of New England

ll sorts of functional and attractive Depression glass, made primarily
vintage kitchen and dining accessories in the 1920s and 30s, was
Awere made with black glass, including affordable to make and was often
console sets, swans, candlesticks, compotes, used for promotional giveaways
fruit bowls, and even punch bowl sets. Black at events like carnivals. Theaters
Glass was also used for decanter sets, steins, gave free glass items to fill
pitchers, and whole dinnerware sets. Today, this their seats, too. Today it can
mid-century modern look is sought after by collectors still be both affordable and
and decorators, and very rare pieces of elegant black attractive. It ranges in price from
glass can command prices in the $400 to $500 range. a few dollars for a sugar bowl or
This depression era black amethyst glass trophy vase has an creamer to nearly $500 for very
embossed heart design with two dancing nymphs on front. rare pieces.
Sold at cherish.com for $75.
Mid-Century Impact
Black Glass Salt & Pepper Shakers:
At the Beginning In the 1950s, red, black, and Black/dark green McKee salt and pepper
shakers with art deco styling. Sides of
Black glass has been used to make bottles in North America white were often colors of choice shakers are Roman Arch shaped. Sold on
and Europe since the 1600s when it was discovered that dark glass in the most modern of kitchens. Etsy and seen elsewhere for $50 and up.
was stronger than lighter colored glass because of the inclusion of Black glass figurines and other
iron oxide. decorative accessories were in
From the late 1600s to the mid-1800s, the majority of English vogue in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Vintage black glass is popular with
bottles were made of black glass. The most typical bottles from that decorators now because it stands out on its
period were onions (ca. 1690-1730), mallets (ca. 1730-1770), squat own, and it also blends well across many
cylinders and cylinders (from about 1770). After glass blowers in design aesthetics.
England began making thick black glass bottles in great numbers, Black glass items were manufactured by
the technology for producing the rich, dark colors was quickly adopted American companies including Fenton
by Europe and the U.S. Glass, McKee, LG Wright. LE Smith,
To manage the records Hazel Atlas, New Martinsville, Indiana
of production, warehousing, Glass, Hocking, Federal, US Glass, and
shipping, and sales, bottle many others. Today, vintage black
manufacturers and merchants glass salt, pepper, flour and sugar shakers,
used a list of terms commonly canisters, and more can be found in
understood by those involved. Black glass by L.E. Smith or antique shops at affordable prices.
The terminology does not Hazel Atlas Glass selling for Today, black glass is formed when 63%
show up in catalogs or price $49 at retrophoria.com silica sand 22% soda 15% limestone are
lists prior to the mid-19th heated together and stirred until the
century, and some terms have mixture is melted to a smooth paste. A combination of iron, copper,
been lost, but others have been and cobalt oxide is added to get the black color.
gathered from advertisements
and written records to kee the Black Glass at Market
language alive. Antique black glass bottles are quite desirable to collectors today. In
Although the glass looked October of 2019, an I Sloggett 1791 black glass sealed wine bottle sold
black, it was really thick dark 19th Century Black Vase Hand Painted: for $1,222, and a sealed wine bottle with an H Gooch embossed seal
green or dark amber glass Exceptional quality antique Victorian commanded $389 in November of 2019. Perhaps the contents had
made with a combination of ‘black’ glass vase hand painted in colored something to do with the price as well.
iron oxide and various other enamels with a bird perched on a Some other examples of recent
impurities. The glass was not flowering twig and dating from the eBay sales include a large 1920s
called “black glass” until the 19th century. Sold at xupes.com jeweled black glass Austrian
1740s when the term was used perfume bottle that sold for $537
in an American newspaper advertisement. The glass was used mainly recently, and a 1920s Austrian
for bottles because there was less breakage due to its density, and the black glass and pink quartz
thick, dark-colored bottles protected the contents (usually beer, wine, perfume bottle with a Buddha sold
cider, ale, quack medicines, and other liquids) from spoiling due to for over $2000!
exposure to light. In December of 2019, a pair of
In the 18th century, Europeans began using glass in buttons and 1930s black glass cologne bottles by
jewelry. Black glass has often been used as an affordable replacement for US Glass in the Flower with
the organic mineral, Jet. Glass is much harder, heavier and smoother Butterflies pattern (missing their
than Jet. It is also much more scratch resistant, and the button shank stoppers) sold for $461!
can be embedded in the glass. Black glass buttons were all the rage from Earlier this year a celluloid and
about 1800 to 1820, and then from around 1850 to 1870, and again black glass button with a peacock
from 1880 till 1914. Today, button collecting is still quite popular sold for $198, a single circa 1800s Vintage gold gilt dore bronze
and is sometimes worth the search through those glass jars full of mounted black opaline glass casket.
black glass owl button with glass Features gilt mount with a cylindrical
variety to claim the glass examples. eyes sold for $119 and a lot of 500
In the depression era, black glass perfume bottles, tableware, black glass buttons brought $189. form and lid and articulated handle
barware, decorative accessories, and kitchenware became popular. at Hill Auction Gallery, estimated
to sell for up to $1,000
32 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles