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from pp. American Art Nouveau Glass by Albert Christian Revi

pp. 154-155

Cluthra Glass

Tapioca was the “secret ingredient” Mr. Carder used to produce the bubbly texture characteristic of his Cluthra glass. A gather of Alabaster glass was first rolled over a marver strewn with fine particles of Carder’s Rosaline, Green Jade, Wisteria, Amethyst, Yellow Jade or some other opaline glass used by the Steuben factory. Immediately thereafter it was rolled over another marver covered with small pieces of tapioca which caused an effervescence and bubbling reaction in hot glass. While the glass was still bubbling it was blown into a cup of crystal glass, then blown out to the desired size and shape and finished with hand tools. Blowing out the bulb of glass enlarged the bubbles greatly; sometimes they are almost a full inch in diameter.

Handles or a foot were made for these Cluthra wares from any of the several colored glasses used at Steuben-Rosaline, Green Jade, Alabaster, colored crystal-whatever the worker was ordered to use for a particular design to comply with Mr. Carder’s wishes.

Cluthra first appeared in the Steuben line in 1920 and was made in several colors and combinations of colors-rose, light and dark blue, purple, gold ruby, yellow, brown, black (usually flecked with white or shade to white), alabaster, rose shading to Alabaster, green shading to alabaster, and many more. If these wares are marked, and some of them are not, it will be with the fleur-de-lis in combination with the name “Steuben”.

Shape: 6952

Form: Cologne

Color: White Cluthra

Component Colors: Stopper: Colorless

Type: Cluthra

Decoration: Shading, Rose

Cluthra Size: 6.25 in high