Real or Repro? A Primer on Depression Glass

Cherry Blossom is just one of the hundreds of Depression glass patterns produced. It happens to be my favorite, so it’s the easiest to write about for me! Cherry Blossom was produced by the Jeannette Glass Co., located in Jeannette, PA from 1930 – 39. It was produced in the standard pink and green, but a great set can also be put together in Delphite. Additionally, a limited number of pieces can be found in Crystal, Jadeite, and an Amberina shade. Pink is most prevalent however in this pattern as it was produced for the entire production run, where green was discontinued after 1935. Is green impossible to find? No, but it will be just a little more challenging to complete your set.

Cherry Blossom is also one of the top five most collected Depression Glass patterns! The beautiful pattern is not only eye-catching but has a variety of pieces making it quite useful. It also can be found just about everywhere making it a little easier to collect than some patterns. This has also made it a target, as one of the most reproduced of all depression patterns. When I identify a reproduction (repro) in a person’s collection, I always hear it can’t be as it was my grandmothers and she wouldn’t have reproductions. She had this set 50 years! Unfortunately, they were making repro’s back in the 1970’s, and some even earlier. If the collector was alive and possibly buying replacement pieces, it is quite possible many collections have reproductions of them.

Trying to figure out if it’s real or a repro can be difficult with this pattern as there is not a common thread to look for in pieces. I’ve also found there are different levels of repros with this pattern! Some of the older reproductions are very good and have slipped by the best of us, while the latter made repro’s coming out of China are very bad!

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My first recommendation to anyone collecting a pattern is to buy a book! I recommend Barbara Mauzy’s Comprehensive Handbook of Depression Glass by Barbara & Jim Mauzy, A Schiffer Book. The hardback book has great pictures, and each piece is identified, so you’re not guessing what you’re looking at. There is also a pocket guide that you can carry with you when you shop. This version does not have the level of pictures but what I like is there is a place to keep the number of pieces you have so you know what you need (as long as you keep it updated). Both books list detailed information on the pieces that are reproduced. There is an R after the piece then you refer to the bottom, and the author tells you what to look for. Of course, there are many other great books out there, but I find this is the most comprehensive and informative.

I recently helped a dealer identify some glass and in it was a Cherry Blossom Reproduction Butter Dish.

These are a big seller since they are a high ticket item. She felt bad she had been taken but was kind enough to let me photograph the piece to use in this article! So let’s study how we can tell if the butter dish is real or a repro!

The first thing I try to tell people to learn your pattern, know how it feels, how it looks study your piece. There is a feel to Depression glass that is different from all other glass. That’s something that cannot be explained, but you will learn over time. Just the way Depression Glass has a certain feel, reproduced glass has its own. Many of the cheaply made repros feel oily. When you touch the glass just has a slick feeling to it. I always say I want to wash my hands after touching it! But be careful though with this rule, as French Opalescent Glass can feel oily too and it’s not a reproduction! Cherry Blossom though should not feel oily!

Many times on repros the coloring is off. It can either be too light of pink, too orange of a pink or too deep of a green. Some colors were never made in certain patterns, so that is the biggest giveaway! You will also find there are exceptions to every rule so be careful. Sick glass, glass that did not process correctly or glass that has been “reheated” can have an orange shade to it. The color of the glass is derived from how hot the furnaces would get. In those days they did not have a perfect measurement for temperature and because of the nature of this glass didn’t care either. The shades may not match because of this reason alone.

I’ve also purchased a collection of Depression Glass and asked the women what had happened to her glass? All her glass, all different patterns, had an orange tint to it. Many pieces and patterns were never reproduced, so I knew it wasn’t that. She couldn’t believe I knew something happened, but she had suffered a very intense fire. The glass had been “reheated” and had developed an orange tint to it. I’m not a chemist and can’t explain how that happens (probably something to do with molecules). Just to show you there are exceptions to every rule, so you have to look further when identifying a reproduction. I can’t stress this enough.

Let’s break down how I identified this butter dish as a repro. First, the pink color was just a tad lighter than usual, almost a washed out pink. The feel of the glass was heavy, and especially the bottom felt rougher than Depression glass usually feels. When I say rougher, I don’t mean rough edges I mean the entire feel of the glass. Again these two identification points are something that comes with time, don’t expect to run out tomorrow and say this feels like a repo as you may pass up some great glass, I did when starting.

Next one of the common threads in the reproduction of this pattern is the flowering portion of this pattern. On some of the repro’s the flowers look as if you’re seven years old drew them! I always thought how am I going to tell this but when you see it for the first time you go “Oh that’s what they mean!” If you have any piece of Cherry Blossom with this type of flower, it is a repo. Take a look at the flowers on this butter dish.

In this case, you can stop at the flower identification, but let’s look at a few other hints. In the butter dish lid, an approximately ¼ inch from the edge starts pattern impression. This impression can also be found on the footed tumblers. When you look at the lines going around the dish, it creates the impression of 3 lines. This feature is something that was missed on many of the reproduction butter dishes. You will only find one line going around. Be careful though with this as sometimes the real butter dishes were not filled into the mold properly or pressed hard enough and the three lines do not go solidly around the lid. Don’t discount it as real for that reason.

Those areas are the best ways to tell if the lid is real or a repo. Remember too; you can have a real lid with a reproduction bottom or visa versa. Let’s look at the ways to tell if the bottom is authentic.

The oily feel we mentioned previously carries through to the bottom as well as the “childish” flowers. Here however to find those flowers you need to look on the rim that goes around the side of the butter dish, where you would hold it. There is only a small section of flower but is easily spotted.

Now you are armed with just a few ways to tell if your Cherry Blossom is real or a repo, especially your butter dish. As time goes on you will learn the feel of the glass and be able to tell maybe by that alone! If you’re not sure however it’s better to pass up a piece than to pay too much for a reproduction. Even when I know, there is not a reproduction of a piece I’ve had times where it just didn’t feel right to me, so I pass it up. I’ve made some big mistakes, but on the other hand, I need to please myself first in buying glass.

Take your new found knowledge and test it out. However, until you’re sure you have perfected, it doesn’t tell people their dish is a repo until you do. Some will take you at your word, and some will never believe you no matter what you say to convince them. I refer back to the famous quote “this came from an estate that the woman was in her 90’s, it must be real!” Now you know the truth!

Stop by TLC Antiques & Collectibles to find both Depression & Elegant Glass as well as Fenton or visit on the web at http://www.TLCAntiques.net.

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