| Comments by Alan and Lorraine Pickup
Inverted Strawberry Candlesticks From HOACGA bulletin March, 2005 |
The Cambridge Glass Company's Inverted Strawberry candlesticks we feel are in a class by themselves. They are a very bold intaglio pattern that features realistic strawberries intermingled with leaves and blossoms. Green and marigold are the colors usually found, although in the Edwards/Carwile book, the 9th edition of the Standards Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, they indicate that a rare amethyst example is known. With a quick look back over the last ten years in the Mordini auction price reports, you will find that most years have only one or two of these candlesticks listed, and of course sometimes as a pair. Something common in the listings is the glass collector's "dirty little word," chips. These candlesticks are made with a substantial amount of glass and would have to be considered as pretty rugged. But, this candlestick sits on a scalloped bottom edge about one fourth of an inch thick that has a square rather than a rounded surface contacting the table. This square and rather sharp bottom design is very receptive to chip damage. And finding these otherwise beautiful candlesticks without any chip damage is unfortunately unusual. This is one of those carnival shapes that you may just have to do without if you have a low tolerance for damage. But, if you are that much of a perfectionist, maybe you should be collecting cast iron banks or door stops instead of fragile, one-hundred year old glass that was made to be use and not just looked at. Our green pair has the unusual Cambridge appealing iridescence that just jumps out at you and demands attention. On a visit to one of the Cambridge museums in Cambridge, OH, you will find that the Cambridge Glass Company made lot of beautiful glass. Unfortunately, they didn't make that many patterns in carnival glass, but the carnival glass they did make are all easily recognizable and treasured by many collectors. |