Canterbury: A Little-Known Color

May 30, 2025
Issue 3750

Canterbury is a beautiful bluish-purple color that is uncommon to find. In a 2009 Gazette, Ed Bush of Painted Post, NY, wrote an article titled “From Carder’s Notebooks.” He shared the following story: “In about 1988 Bob Rockwell gave me a copy of a manuscript written by Harrison Hood that listed the colorants used in many of Carder’s glasses. Mr. Hood was a highly-regarded glass scientist at Corning Inc., and he probably obtained the information from Carder’s notebooks. I transcribed the manuscript exactly as written by Mr. Hood except for a few words I added that are enclosed by parentheses.”

The list Ed produced included the color Canterbury and the special colorant used to achieve it—nickel oxide. In 2011, Greg Merkel used X-ray fluorescence to analyze two Steuben glass pieces representing colors that were not generally well known. Interestingly, one of these pieces was a Canterbury candlestick, and the other was a Celadon vase.

At our 2024 Symposium Dinner Auction, we were fortunate to have a pair of Canterbury #2956 Candlesticks from the estate of Greg Merkel. Here are photos of the Canterbury candlesticks in sunlight and indoors illuminated by artificial light. The Canterbury color appears bluer in sunlight.

SEEKING DONATIONS

Every year at our Symposium Dinner auction we are fortunate to have some gems like these beautiful Canterbury candlesticks. We are now soliciting donations for this year’s auction to be held during the Saturday evening banquet dinner. Proceeds of the auction support the Carder Steuben Glass Association website and our Steuben glass mission. The CSGA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and you will receive a tax receipt for your donation.

You may wish to donate or consign Carder Steuben glass, post-Carder Steuben glass, glass of the same era, or glass with relevance to Corning. Other items like books, New York state wine, or Frederick Carder items also make great auction entries. Please send item descriptions to President@steubenglass.org. If you are attending the Symposium you may bring the items with you, or they may be shipped in advance. Thank you so much for your support!

UPCOMING AUCTIONS FEATURING STEUBEN GLASS

Magnum Auctions — June 1, 2025. Featuring several lamps (including two examples in Rose Quartz), candlesticks, and other Carder Steuben pieces.
Heritage Auctions — June 13, 2025. Offering a large assortment of modern Steuben sculptural and decorative pieces. Several of the works were designed by David Dowler and Robert Cassetti, two of the fabulous speakers we’ve been fortunate to have at past Symposiums.