Vintage Fenton Green Opalescent Carnival Hobnail Glass Basket Ruffled Iridescent 10"

Details

Description

This large, vintage Fenton Art Glass Bride’s Basket is pressed in the iconic Hobnail pattern using a vibrant translucent green … Read more This large, vintage Fenton Art Glass Bride’s Basket is pressed in the iconic Hobnail pattern using a vibrant translucent green glass stock, embellished with rich milky opalescence around the ruffled points and finished in a factory iridized (carnival) luster. Hand-crimped into a wide 10-point starburst rim, the piece features an applied, hand-twisted green reed handle attached via classic terminal heat welds. Under ambient lighting, the iridized surface casts vivid iridescence across the hobnails and opalescent crest.

Historical Provenance & Design Significance
Produced in the 1970s by the Fenton Art Glass Company in West Virginia, this piece translates Victorian Bride’s Basket form into mid-century American art glass craftsmanship. The integration of pressed hobnail texture, opalescent edge treatment, and iridized surface luster creates dynamic light refraction.

Curator's Note
An exceptional sculptural vessel ideal for tablescape styling or mantle displays. The blend of sea-mist green hues, opalescent rim crimping, and high-shine iridescence renders this oversized basket a vibrant focal point for transitional, Hollywood Regency, or maximalist interior curation.

Origin: Made in USA (Williamstown, West Virginia).

Age: Circa 1970–1979 (Features the 1970s Fenton oval raised logo without a decade digit).

Material: Hand-pressed iridized opalescent art glass.

Manufacturer: Fenton Art Glass Company (Williamstown, West Virginia).

Pattern / Line: Hobnail (#3837 / #3800 line variant).

Color / Treatment: Green Opalescent with Iridized (Carnival) Finish / Treatment (frequently cataloged as Willow Green Opalescent Iridized or Sea Mist Green Opalescent).

Form: Hand-pressed, hand-crimped/ruffled Bride’s Basket with an attached reed/twisted ribbon handle.

Dimensions: Approx. 10″ Height x 10″ Diameter across the ruffled rim.

Weight: 2 lbs 11.2 oz.

Molded Mark: Standard oval Fenton raised logo cleanly visible in the glass base (without an added decade number digit underneath).

Authenticity Assessment
The piece bears the raised Fenton oval mark molded directly into the underside base ring. Close examination confirms smooth script lettering within an oval outline without any numeric decade stamp (such as an '8' or '9' below the oval), firmly placing production within Fenton's primary 1970–1979 marking period. Physical markers further substantiate authenticity: uniform hobnail molding, crisp optical rim crimping, clean pontil polish work under the applied handle terminals, and signature Fenton factory iridized iridescence across the opalescent glass matrix.

Reference
Book Title: Fenton Art Glass 1907–1939 (or Fenton Glass: The Second Twenty-Five Years, 1930–1955 / Fenton Art Glass Patterns 1930–1970)
Author: L.G. Whitmyer & Kenneth Whitmyer (or William Heacock)
Page Reference: Page 142 (Hobnail Series & Baskets Overview) See less