MOSS AGATE
BY Bob Mueller

Mr. Carder’s Moss Agate Glass intrigues me. The mixture of colors used shows Mr. Carder’s willingness to experiment. The crackle effect used adds an extra dimension to his Moss Agate. Each piece will have its own characters that no other piece has. When you pull all of these things together you come up with an extra special type of glass made by Mr. Carder.

But let us go back to when Mr. Carder first worked at Stevens & Williams in the 1880’s with John Northwood. These two men by working together came up with their version (actually Stevens & Williams) of Moss Agate. The pieces did not have the brilliance of colors that were later used in Carders Steuben. The glass at Stevens & Williams also was also thicker then the Moss Agate at Steuben Glass.

When the Gaffers would roll his crystal gather over the fine powder particles of different colors, he would pick up different amounts of different colors, so each piece shape and color was unique. With Celeste blue, green jade, and amber pieces made from the same batch, the color will all look alike, but this will not be found in Moss Agate pieces from the same batch at Steuben Glass.

Mr. Carder used his Steuben Moss Agate primarily in making footed vases, vases that were drilled for lamps, shades, torcheres and sconces that I have found.

In an upcoming book there are a few examples of Moss Agate shades and torcheres. Those are great examples of his great abilities with glass.

Most Moss Agate production was sold to the Crest Lamp Company. The two pieces I found were #8562 that is a Moss Agate 9” shade made for Crest, and #8422 was a 12” Moss Agate footed vase, drilled for Crest.

http://www.kddk.com/alans/MossAgate.pdf

Mr. Carder did not start to make his Moss Agate until about 1926, but his Moss Agate was well worth the wait.

Bob Mueller
Osseo, Minnesota
Ap;ril 30, 2010