Very Large Fenton Vintage Art Glass Vaseline Hobnail Footed Swung Vase
Product Description And Additional Pictures
We are pleased to offer this spectacular Fenton art glass hobnail swung vase in the topaz opalescent (Vaseline) color. Fenton started producing Vaseline glass in the 1930’s, but this particular topaz opalescent color was made for only a limited time, from July, 1959 to July, 1960. This vase is not signed, typical of Fenton items made prior to 1970.
Production of this vase was quite work intensive: first the hobnail pattern was created by blowing a glass vessel into a mold. The “swung” feature was created when the glassblower held the “gather” on the end of the blow pipe and, used a special tool to swing the molten glass in a circle to elongate it. The combination of the hobnail pattern and swung design has resulted in a uniquely attractive vase!
While Fenton was well-known for its hobnail designed art glass, it was also well-known for its swung vases, which can often be identified because Fenton pieces generally never have a pontil mark on the base – please see our photo as an example. The pontil mark is generally absent because Fenton artisans used snap rings instead of the punty rods to hold the glass during the manufacturing process. Other glass companies that produced swung vases were Viking Art Glass, L. E. Smith Glass Company, Tiffin, Fostoria and Pilgrim. However, the pieces produced by these companies generally had pontil marks.
Our vase is a prime example of fine Fenton glass. Unlike later Fenton pieces produced from the 1970’s on, this vase has a lovely thin and translucent body: if you examine our photos you will notice that you can see through the glass walls of the vase to the hobnails on the other side. This vase is in excellent vintage condition with no chips, cracks or repairs. It measures 13-1/4” tall, and it sits on a 2-1/2” tall base that measures 3” in diameter. The bulb or largest part of the vase’s body is somewhat larger than the flat 3” base.
