Green Glass Baluster Vase
Tiny Tuesday is seeing the world through emerald colored glasses
This charming miniature green glass baluster form vase is decorated with a scene of a little boy in Lord Fauntleroy attire, frolicking in nature. It was hand painted with white vitreous enamel. After the enamel mixture was applied to the glassware, the piece was fired to fuse the mixture to the article. This style of decorating glassware is known as “Mary Gregory,” referring to the artist who popularized the technique.
Mary Gregory (1856-1908) was born in Providence, RI, and began work at the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company in 1880 as a glass decorator. Her designs usually included scenes of Victorian children in nature, with the foliage having a “feathered” quality.
Though Gregory only worked for the Glass Company until 1884, her style became so popular that it would later be referred to as “Mary Gregory” glassware during the 1920s. Numerous glass companies replicated the style, and it is often difficult to tell whether a piece was actually decorated by Ms. Gregory. Even today, some companies continue to produce similar glassware with delightful designs.
This lovely example bears all the characteristics of the Mary Gregory style and, with its old New England provenance, may well be a piece decorated by the lady herself! It has been in the collection of the FRHS since 1962.