Trash or Treasure: Vintage cranberry glass perfect for the holidays
“This bottle has been a prized item in our family as long as I can recall,” Sharon Kocsis wrote to the column asking for an appraisal and more information.
“The story behind it is that my great-grandfather brought it and a companion one with him when he emigrated from Scotland. The designs appear to be hand-etched as they are not consistently applied. Unfortunately, the other was broken so we safeguard this one. I would love to have a professional look at it so we can try to obtain an idea of where it originated.”
She brought the piece with her to an appraisal session at the Michigan Design Center in Troy, where independent appraiser Brian Thomczek took a closer look in hopes of giving her some answers.
“No one knows what it is,” she explained to him. “We think it may have been a wine decanter. There were two of them and they were part of a set.”
While they may have been brought with her ancestor from Scotland, Thomczek said there’s little chance they originated there. He identified the glass piece as an example of Bohemian or Czech glass, adding that he would call it “in the style of Moser.” Moser was among the best known and best valued of the glass of this type, he said, which is also known as cranberry glass.
“This almost looks French,” he continued, adding that “they did some Hungarian-style glass at the turn of the century and early 20th century before World War II.”
He didn’t think it was originally intended as a wine decanter, but he said that it may have been part of a cordial set and originally included a number of matching glasses. He also said that it could also have had a religious use since there are crosses on it.
Unfortunately, no maker on the bottom means that it’s hard to give Kocsis definitive answers. “There were a lot of European makers doing pressed glass and gold,” he explained. “My guess is that it’s probably Bohemian or Czech because they were known for the most beautiful glass… it really pops. It was all done by hand and would take hours to do.”
He appraised the piece at $100 to $150 at auction and said the color is appropriate for the upcoming holidays if she wanted to use it on her table. Kocsis said she has always been afraid to use it because she wants to keep the piece in the family for future generations. “I’m the guardian,” she said, adding, “We don’t touch it.”
Contact Khristi Zimmeth at trashortreas@aol.com.
About this item
Item: Cranberry glass decanter
Owned by: Sharon Kocsis
Appraised by: Brian Thomczek
Estimated value: $100 to $150 at auction