I would like to share some information on Cardinal Red, This color is perhaps a toss up for Carder’s rarest color in transparent colored crystal (TCC’s). The two other transparent colors that are in this category are Smoke and Yellow Opalescent. The latter color is not fully transparent but somewhat translucent in nature so may not technically be called a true TCC.

Cardinal Red is listed in Gardner’s color chart on page 60. Alan Shovers has an example of this color in shape #2909 shown on page 128 in his book.

This color is not shown yet on the Club site but we are working on it’s proper discovery and documentation. The shade of this color is probably best described as a strawberry red, royal red, or blood red. There is a problem with using the term blood red because two shades of color have this same reference. One shade of red is called pigeon blood and the other is called ox blood with Victorian and antique glassware. Pigeon blood is the shade of Carder’s Cardinal Red and ox blood is the shade of Selenium Red, which is also called Cerise Ruby. I prefer the term mid range strawberry red as we would see in a strawberry just before it’s over ripened stage.

I am completely satisfied with Alan’s #2909 example from the photo’s. I believe Bonnie Salzman has come up with another example purchased from Thomas Dimitroff, establishing providence. It is in the form of a Mellon Ribbed Perfume. She has provided a photo of Cardinal Red and permission to share. The photo is of three perfumes with a Gold Ruby decorated piece on the left, Cardinal Red in the middle, and Cerise Ruby(Selenium Red) on the right.

Question is what other information do we have about this color? What is the chemical composition of this color? In Carder’s 1929 notebook there is no indication we have the full glass formula for this shade. In antique glassware this shade can be obtained by the use of copper. It’s shade of color is dependent with the temperature and time in the annealer to achieve the right color hue and density. Too short a time at a low temperature i.e. below 480oC (896oF) and the color may not strike, or only with difficulty. Held for too long at 520oC+ (970oF+), and the color will possibly become too dark and dull, with a risk of slight opacity. Too high a temperature in heat treatment, i.e.>600oC (1110oF) may prevent the color striking. Most annealing ovens tend to be rather uneven in temperature, and several copper ruby pieces, put in different parts of the oven, will strike at different speeds and varying degrees of color intensity. Copper ruby is a very sensitive indicator of temperature gradations in annealing ovens.

In Carder’s 1929 notebook there is direct reference to a color called Copper Ruby. It is my theory this is how Carder himself referred to the color Cardinal Red. Carder sometimes referred to colors used at Steuben Glass Works with his own names of reference. Two other examples of Carder doing this are Dark Olive Green Schmidt ( perhaps in reference to Alan’s #2909 page 128 , and a #366 that I have) and English Pomona Yellow (probably in reference to Citron Yellow). Some of his “old school” color names were derived from English and German examples.

Just as with Persian Blue being mistaken for Celeste Blue for a while, Cardinal Red could be mistaken for Selenium Red even though with all four of these colors there is a huge difference with proper scrutiny. Since I am a dealer I will go out on a limb and offer my opinion as far as a price. At this time, subject to change depending on finding more examples or discovering it’s true rarity I would estimate minimum wholesale price at $1,000.00 for any example with additional value added for specific shape numbers.

I have done the best I can with the information available to me and I hope with careful choice of words I have separated theory from fact and have provided a subject worthy of discussion Have fun searching your collections for this color and I open the floor for discussion or discovery.

Rande Bly
Birmingham, Alabama