Hi Alan

As you know I am a Tiffany Pastel collector, although I do not collect Steuben, I am a member of the Carder Steuben Club and attend the annual Steuben Symposium whenever I can. I enjoy spending time with my fellow glass collectors, the various speakers and presentations as well as visiting the Corning museum of glass and doing research at the Rakow Library. I really enjoy the banquet and auction at the end of the symposium. There are many other benefits too numerous to mention.

At the 2018 auction after the banquet a beautiful Carder Steuben Opalescent Oriental Green Champagne Glass caught my eye. I was the winning bidder.

On close examination I find it made in a similar manner to Tiffany’s Opalescent Pastel Glass. The green bowl is flashed or cased in opalescent heat reactive crystal and reheated to bring out the opalescent pattern and highlights. The twisted stem and base are also opalescent heat reactive crystal and reheated to bring out opalescent highlights. The work is very skillfully done and displays the expertise of the gaffer.

These Carder Steuben Oriental Opalescent pieces are made with the same type of glass and techniques used to make Tiffany’s Opalescent Pastels. When I display the piece among some of my Tiffany Pastel pieces it blends in beautifully.

If I were to collect Carder Steuben it would certainly be these beautiful Oriental Opalescent pieces.

Best regards to all my fellow glass collectors, be healthy and safe during these trying times.

Gordon H. Hancock