Early 1900s Fostoria Amethyst Glass Caprice Bowl

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Description

The Caprice pattern was introduced by the Fostoria Glass Company and is one of their most enduring Depression Era lines. … Read more The Caprice pattern was introduced by the Fostoria Glass Company and is one of their most enduring Depression Era lines. This divided relish dish features the signature wave-like swirl design with round medallion accents, pressed into clear glass that was often altered to amethyst tones through irradiation. Caprice is highly regarded for its balance of Art Deco influence and Mid-Century elegance, and it remains a staple among American elegant glassware. Today, this piece serves equally well as a collectible or as a functional accent for serving and entertaining. This piece is in very nice condition with no chips, cracks or hazing.

The Irradiation Process:
The beautiful purple color of this glass is caused by the presence of manganese, which was used in early glass production as a de-colorizer, to turn the glass clear. Manganese is one of the oldest glass additives, and purple manganese glass has been used since early Egyptian history. Around 1915, most glass companies stopped using manganese, substituting selenium as the clearing agent. Glass that contains manganese will turn amethyst/purple when exposed to ultraviolet rays of the sun or other sources of UV rays. When the process of the sun is accelerated by using UV light exposure, it is called “irradiation”. It is a permanent process which reproduces the effects of many years of exposure to natural sunlight, but much faster, and it will not fade. A glass item manufactured after this era will not turn purple with UV light exposure, so it is a true indicator of the items age. See less