You may have seen pressed glass pieces in your grandmother's china cabinet. You can find them at antique stores and you can find them on-line at Etsy and ebay. They are beautiful and sometimes have jewel colored glass. They may have lacy patterns or thumbprint or diamond point motifs. The thumbprint motif, shown in the piece below with the red band, has indentations that fit your thumb. U mm. The pressed glass examples shown below are pedestal pieces, meaning they have a stem and round base.
Glass manufacturers introduced pressed glass in the United States in 1825 as the "poor man's cut glass". Cut glass, like Waterford from Waterford, Ireland, was very expensive. You can usually tell pressed glass from cut glass because pressed glass facets will have dulled edges, and pressed glass pieces usually will have a visible seam. The Tiffin Glass Kings Crown pattern, shown in the photo, that has a ruby red cranberry band around the rim has three seams.
The technique used to make pressed glass involved using a plunger to spread molten glass throughout a mold before it solidified. This process was patented in 1825 by John P. Bakewell.
Once you start collecting them it becomes a habit, oh no. Watch out. I know people who started collecting and couldn't stop and they love their pressed glass collection.
Good things to know:
Pressed Glass Pedestals
Don't wash them in cold or hot water because they may break. Oh my, we don't want that. Wash them in tepid water, like you would bath a baby in.
Dishwashers are a no no for pressed glass.
Wash one piece at a time, butterfingers!
To get rid of spots and clouding, put 2 teaspoons of salt in soapy water and use a toothbrush to clean.
They compliment each other when you select pieces with differing sizes and colors.
With flowers, they make great centerpieces.
Even though the bowl at the top may be shallow, you can put wet pack floral foam in to hold flowers for an arrangement.
Where to buy pressed glass pieces:
- at antique stores
- on-line at Etsy
- on-line at e-bay
- Thrift Stores
My Favorite Pressed Glass Arrangements:
