THIS TIME IT’S TRANSPARENT BROWN

Nov 21, 2009
Issue 749

From Rande Bly
In answer to Marshall’s question I have not yet heard yet until now of Russet Brown. Marshall, I sure would like to see your vase side by side with a piece of Cairn Gorm and Special Amber. I know we are working with photos but it looks identical in shade and tone to me. I am getting brown when I see it but I also see brown with Cairn Gorm. Carder did not mention Russet Brown or Cairn Gorm in his 1929 notebook but did list a Dark Golden Amber and a Dark Amber which would show shades of brown. Carder had his own “old school” names for his colors like English Pomona Yellow that I would like to compare for Citron.
There are 4 Rosa’s. Rosa, Bristol Rosa, Soda Rosa, and Dark Rosa. If the vase has any pink tones that I see in Smoke there is a possibility Dark Rosa should be considered. We know some of the names overlap each other and are used to describe the same color like Cerise Ruby for Selenium Red and Canary for Citron. I see no pink tones in your vase.
None the less I have only seen one shade of brown in Carder’s TCC’s. It is my opinion that Carder used the color name Dark Golden Amber to describe your 7671 Russian Amber Vase and Dark Amber to describe your fan vase. I can hear Carder now…. brown is brown. I only made one shade of brown. Never cared for it much……
Marshall, brown in TCC’s is a very rare color and I have seen under 10 pieces of it.
Gardner’s color chart has Special Amber which I would relate to a very dark amber or brown ( the darkest amber shade). Much like Special Green is the darkest green of all.
We have Russet Brown (factory), Special Amber (Gardner),Cairn Gorm (factory) and Dark Amber (Carder). So……we have all these names but could it be we only have one shade of brown? The pieces sold as Cairn Gorm were all so thick(and cut or engraved) the brown just seems slightly darker. With Russet Brown both were also engraved.
I will attach a picture of another thin piece Vase #6153 in the same color that is a good comparison to your fan vase.
Thanks

Symposium 2024
Carder Steuben Glass Association
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