Jan 16, 2015
Issue 2137
Iridized Snow White
Ivrene 15 1/3inch Charger
from The Collector’s Encyclopedia of American Art Glass by John A. Shuman III
p. 26 Ivrene – Steuben
Ivrene glass, like Ivory glass, is rare; it is translucent, snow white and has a soft look. Some examples have reeding, copper wheel engraving, trim in a contrasting color, or iridizations much like verre de Soie.
The glass was first made in the form of lamp shades; later it was manufactured in limited quantities in console sets and it was manufactured in limited quantities in console sets and vases. Table services were not always in complete sets.
Paper labels and script “Steuben” signature were used on this ware. The signatures are often difficult to detect, especially if the bases have much wear.
Flared and ribbed shapes are noteworthy in Ivrene. Check for the correctness of shapes when buying this or any glass. Probably produced in the ’20s, some examples, but certainly not all, are opalescent.
Lilly Vases (middle right Lilly is know as a Trumpet Vase)
from A Guide to Colored Steuben Glass 1903-1933 by Eric E. Ericson
A transluscent white glass of exceptional soft, mellow, eye impact. Ivrene is definitely not harsh to view. It first achieved prominence as a glass used in the manufacture of lighting fixtures. The purest expressions of item simplicity are found in the light shades.
In transforming the glass to items of decorative, functional use, a very popular concept was to use extensive ribbing and widely flared or stretched-edge rims. The purity and simplicity of the line usually accorded Carder’s Steuben are in short supply in this commodity. There are, however, larger, handled jardiniere vases such as the shape used for Jade Green and Cluthra more closely approximating the Grecian form. The final decision as to which one might prefer is purely a matter of personal consideration.
from The Glass of Frederick Carder by Paul V. Gardner, p. 66
Ivrene a translucent whitish glass with an iridescent surface, was a standard production item at Steuben. It was the nearest Carder ever came to making a milk-white glass. “Glass should be transparent or translucent–not opaque!” was his answer whenever lovers of milk-white glass asked why he did not make items of this popular color.