Antique glassware—including cut glass, pressed glass, blown-molded forms, pattern glass, Depression glass, and early American tableware—remains one of the most diverse decorative-arts categories for collectors. Because genuine period pieces often share visual similarities with later reproductions, accurate identification requires understanding tooling marks, mold seams, cutting methods, motifs, wear patterns, glass clarity, and historical production traits.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 486 provides the complete visual, non-destructive workflow for evaluating antique glassware across multiple production styles. This Master Guide explains how to distinguish authentic cut glass from molded imitators, analyze pressed-glass seam patterns, identify blown and mold-blown traits, recognize historical motifs, detect modern reproductions, evaluate natural wear, and determine approximate production periods using reliable, observation-based criteria.
Inside this guide, you’ll learn how experts:
Distinguish cut glass from pressed and molded glass using tooling and surface behavior
Identify mold seams, early vs. later pressing traits, and production signatures
Recognize wheel-cut, acid-cut, and mechanically cut design techniques
Evaluate glass clarity, tint, weight, and optical characteristics
Identify hand-blown traits such as pontil marks, irregularities, and natural bubbles
Date pieces using decorative motifs and period-specific design evolution
Assess authentic wear on bases, rims, and high-contact points
Detect modern reproductions and artificially aged examples
Understand maker identification clues including etched marks and mold signatures
Apply a structured, non-destructive authentication workflow to evaluate glassware with confidence
Whether studying American Brilliant Period cut glass, early pressed glass, Depression-era patterns, blown and mold-blown forms, or mid-century Scandinavian modernism, this guide provides the full professional framework needed to identify and appraise antique glassware accurately.
Digital Download — PDF • 7 Pages • Instant Access
Antique glassware—including cut glass, pressed glass, blown-molded forms, pattern glass, Depression glass, and early American tableware—remains one of the most diverse decorative-arts categories for collectors. Because genuine period pieces often share visual similarities with later reproductions, accurate identification requires understanding tooling marks, mold seams, cutting methods, motifs, wear patterns, glass clarity, and historical production traits.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 486 provides the complete visual, non-destructive workflow for evaluating antique glassware across multiple production styles. This Master Guide explains how to distinguish authentic cut glass from molded imitators, analyze pressed-glass seam patterns, identify blown and mold-blown traits, recognize historical motifs, detect modern reproductions, evaluate natural wear, and determine approximate production periods using reliable, observation-based criteria.
Inside this guide, you’ll learn how experts:
Distinguish cut glass from pressed and molded glass using tooling and surface behavior
Identify mold seams, early vs. later pressing traits, and production signatures
Recognize wheel-cut, acid-cut, and mechanically cut design techniques
Evaluate glass clarity, tint, weight, and optical characteristics
Identify hand-blown traits such as pontil marks, irregularities, and natural bubbles
Date pieces using decorative motifs and period-specific design evolution
Assess authentic wear on bases, rims, and high-contact points
Detect modern reproductions and artificially aged examples
Understand maker identification clues including etched marks and mold signatures
Apply a structured, non-destructive authentication workflow to evaluate glassware with confidence
Whether studying American Brilliant Period cut glass, early pressed glass, Depression-era patterns, blown and mold-blown forms, or mid-century Scandinavian modernism, this guide provides the full professional framework needed to identify and appraise antique glassware accurately.
Digital Download — PDF • 7 Pages • Instant Access
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