Vintage Glassware Trivia Quiz

Answer: cold painting

Goofus glass is known for its high relief motifs of fruit or flowers. It is found in clear, but most were colored by cold painting. This means that after the molten glass has cooled, the surface was painted with enamel paint, usually in gold and red. It looks attractive at first, but with time, the paint becomes vulnerable to flaking or rubbing off. Because of this, today it is difficult to find a piece in which the paint is in perfect condition.

Answer: Early American Pattern Glass

Also known as Early American Pressed Glass, EAPG came in literally hundreds of patterns depending on what design elements used. It was usually produced in clear glass, but some colored pieces can be found. The "heyday" of EAPG was the mid-1800 to the early 1900s.

After the Victorian era, it fell out of favor. Some well-know EAPG manufacturers were Heisey, Northwood, Higbee and Indiana Glass companies.

Answer: Depression

Depression glass was cheaply made and mass produced so people during the depression could afford to buy it. It was so inexpensive and available that it was given away as premiums in boxes of washing soap and with theater admissions. There are around 80 "major" patterns made by Indiana, Jeanette, Hazel Atlas, Hocking and Federal glass companies, amongst others and came in pink, green, blue red and amber colors as well as clear.

Answer: gold oxide

The light reddish cranberry glass became a popular collectible because of the gold content. However, once added to molten glass slag, it is unrecoverable as pure metal.

Answer: the way the patterns are made

Pressed glass is made by pouring or blowing molten glass into a mold, much like ceramics are made. When the glass cools, the piece is taken out of the mold and polished. Cut glass is usually hand blown. After it sets, the pattern is engraved with special tools.

Answer: a pontil mark

The pontil mark is the dimple where the item has been broken off the blowing tube (pontil). It is usually located on the underside of the piece. Sometimes, in really high quality glassware, the pontil mark has been ground down and polished so it is hardly evident. Pressed glass will sometimes have visible seams from the molds in which they are made. Straw marks are actually shear marks used to cut the blob of molten glass.

They are sometimes evident on pressed glass because when the item was removed from its mold, it was sometimes placed on straw to cool down. If the glass was still very warm and soft, it could get a marks from lying on the straw.

These should not be confused with cracks or scratches.

Answer: Germany

The first prototypes of glass ornaments were first made in Germany by Hans Greiner. Around 1850, silver nitrate was swirled onto the decoration producing a mirrored finish. When they dried, the ornaments were then hand decorated. The early decorations were in the shapes of fruit, vegetables, animals and other figures. Reproduction ornaments, mimicking the old style, are still being made today.

Answer: It was often given as prizes at carnivals.

Like Depression glass, it was cheaply made and used as rewards at carnivals, but now has become a popular collectible. The most common color is marigold (orange), but also comes in other iridescent colors such as green and purple. There are Web sites devoted to identifying the patterns.

Answer: inclusions

Inclusions can include trapped air bubbles or any solid materials like sand grains. They do not normally affect the quality of the glass as do chips or cracks.

Answer: false

It was named for Sandwich, Massachusetts where it was made. This glass is easily recognizable because of it background stippled pattern. Today, there is a museum in Sandwich on the site of the former factory and has an extensive display of this type of glassware.