FORGERIES
Recently a Club member wrote in to point out what he believed to be a forged signature on an item held out on eBay to be an authentic Carder Steuben article. The suggestion was that we should publish this likely forgery on the Gazette to alert the unwary.
Unfortunately, there are many forged “Steuben” signatures; it’s relatively easy to do. My admonition is when you see a signature on a piece of glass, always approach it in a critical questioning way. The glass itself always has to speak for itself. The glass should almost always have a shape that can be found in the shape index in the Gardner book. While many people rely on a signature, they really mean little and any unscrupulous person can add them with great ease. Many pieces are circulating where the signature has been added many years ago and innocently the piece has been circulating. I”ve seen legitimate dealers show me a piece of Tiffany marked with a forged Steuben signature and vice versa. I guess the height of folly.

It might be nice if this Gazette newsletter could be used to identify forgeries and help the collecting public. However, it is a rather slippery slope. We would be sending out many of these newsletters questioning things; then, in turn, debate would fire up; sellers would be sore and on and on. So while we’re not getting in the business of identifying forgeries, or possible forgeries, it is worth while to remind collectors to always know your glass. Study the leading books. View and review the pictures of the real things. Glass is art. If you study it enough after a while the artistry of Frederick Carder speaks out to you loudly and clearly.