Click on a category below to show all the entries for that category.
Learn about and understand the items, manufacturers, designers and periods as well as the specialist terms used in describing antiques and collectables. Either click one of the letters below to list the items beginning with that letter, or click on a category on the left side of the screen to list the items under that category.
Popular because of its attractive colours and naïve charm, 'Mary Gregory' glass, in popular belief originated from a lady by that name in America who painted scenes of children on ruby (cranberry), blue or green glass using a white enamel paint mixed with ground glass.
The painted scenes usually depict a child in an outdoor setting, playing with butterfly nets, hoops, or blowing bubbles, and often trees and foliage are framed to one side of the composition acting.
However it actually originated from glassworks in Bohemia, part of Czechoslovakia from 1918, and from 1993, part of the Czech Republic and was a major export commodity for the region in the mid and latter quarter of the 19th century.
Research has established that although there was a lady by the name of Mary Gregory (1856 - 1908) who worked for the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company in Cape Cod, Massachusetts she did not paint children, but landscapes including winter scenes.
Of the range of Mary Gregory decorated items produced, over 90% coming onto the market are vases in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Other items include jugs, glasses, jars, decanters and bowls, as well as many sets, such as jugs and decanters with matching glasses. Vases were often produced in pairs.
'Mary Gregory' glass was also produced in England and Italy in the 19th century, and because of its popularity, its manufacture is known to have been resumed at times in the 20th century, in at least the United States,
In terms of market pricing, the simple rule is the larger the piece the more expensive. Some vases on stands can stand over 85 cm tall. A premium is added if there is a suite of items, for example a pair of vases and a matching comport.