Last Wednesday Tom Felt wrote in to ask if the below console set could be a Carder Steuben set. Tom Felt noted there is a set of the same candlesticks on eBay in Celeste Blue that is being offered as Steuben. I do not find this form in the database of images, but the quality of the set is good enough that it definitely makes me wonder.

Dealer Luther Yocum responded saying he had a similar set of the candle sticks, but didn’t think they were the real deal. Rather he thought they were European.

Rick Wolters has written in, as follows:

There is on 1st Dibs a blue set of the same shape as above. In scrolling through the pictures included in the listing one of the three have what appears to be a triangle Steuben label on the foot.

Ed–So the question to be posed is whether the presence of a foil f-d-l, or incised f-d-l settles the question of authentication. There are cases where foil f-d-l’s have been unglued from a legitimate piece and moved to another piece of glass. Likewise, many incised f-d-l’s can be and are easily faked. That is a study unto itself. Perhaps some readers might want to elaborate.

There are any number of factors besides the presence of a f-d-l or marking that establishes a piece as a legitimate Carder piece of art glass. This includes finding the piece in the shape index or that index with pictures on the Carder Steuben website. Pictures in the major texts on Carder Steuben. The construction and quality of the piece. The colors engaged. The problem with the piece Tom Felt wrote about is that the shape isn’t in the index and the style of construction on the connectors to the foot don’t look typical. Just my opinion. Alan Shovers

Read more about signature and identification at p. 229-237 of Frederick Carder and Steuben Glass by Thomas P. Dimitroff.

How To Pack Glass Response

Where were you when I needed advice on shipping glass. I just sent a large European painted Demijohn bottle to an auction house. I wrapped it in a large bath towel filled the large box with biodegradable popcorn and sent it UPS. The auction house commented “I’m lucky it arrived in one piece”.

John Styler

If you missed it, here are the videos on packing glass.