From the title of my blog, I get a lot of incoming searches from antique collectors looking for milk glass. So, I figured a post was in order.
What is milk glass? It’s basically an opaque glass that has tin oxide added to the glassmaking process to create the milky appearance. It resembles porcelain with a glassy shine. It is usually formed and pressed into molds.
Milk glass is at home in any decor because of its clean simplicity. There are figures, vases, dishes, glasses, cake stands, etc. I fell in love with it when my mom bought this tiny hobnail bud vase with milk glass gradation at an antique show. Hobnail simply refers to the raised bumps. I find this glass to be soothing, with a gentle, delicate quality.
White isn’t the only color available. Here is a French egg cup, circa 1910 in a dreamy blue shade.
There are many different stories of origin out there, spanning from the 14th to 16th centuries, and possibly coming from Venice, Italy. It’s always synonymous with prosperity for some reason, but the glass produced during the Depression era is of lesser quality and has a lower value. If you are interested in collecting, The National Milk Glass Collectors Society has a wealth if information. Keep an eye out for marks/signatures on the bottom of each piece and avoid damage like cracks and tiny chips on edges called “flea bites”. (etsy and ebay finds)
Milk glass is still being produced by glass companies like Fenton. Check out this modern chandelier from Martha Stewart!
Here is an owl toothpick holder from the Westmoreland Glass Co. People don’t really go around displaying their toothpicks anymore but, for a party with hors d’oeuvres, or in your bathroom for cotton swabs (I have a little green ceramic koi fish toothpick in my bathroom), or at your bedside with a small flower, it would be adorable. I did a post about a year ago on functional/controlled collections and mentioned Degenhart Glass. They also produce a lot of toothpicks in a range of milk colors, which are super easy to collect and keep.
Omg look at this awesome dish found at this site! It was described as:
A steer’s head covered dish of opaque white milk glass more than doubled its presale high estimate to sell for $3,955 to a private collector bidding in the gallery. On a swirled rib base, the piece made by Challinor, Taylor & Co. in the fourth quarter of the Nineteenth Century stood 5 inches high and featured striking nonoriginal applied eyes.
4 grand for a 5″ high covered dish?! Makes you want to scour some flea markets and antique shows for an amazing deal once in a while, doesn’t it?
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