Featured Amethyst or Mulberry Glass Pitcher - Reeded Handle

Hello Board Buddies! I've got a glass pitcher that I can't identify. The pitcher stands about 7" tall. The color is a bit strange. It looks purple but it can also shade to blue at the bottom depending on how it's turned towards the light. It did not react to black light or fluorescent. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Don

 

It might be an irradiated piece.

 

I saw pictures recently of trays of assorted earlier glass being irradiated along with the usual antique bottles by someone doing a lot of it and putting it on the market. Kind of like painting nice old furniture IMHO even if it is kind of pretty.

 

These bottles were clear until they were irradiated artificially. A lot of other early glass turns purple besides just bottles with the treatment.

 

I couldn't find the color, so I went searching for the shape. Do you think that this might be it? (yours at left, other at right)



The one shown at right, next to yours, is Fenton, according to this eBay listing:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fenton-Shi...all/263417999748?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144

 

Thank you, buyingtime777, I will research that. SBSVC, I thought of Fenton but perhaps let the reeded handle distract me. Will hit the books! Thank you!
Don

 

Here is an excellent article on the irradiation of glass that makes for very interesting reading. https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Irradiation-Changes-Color-of-Glass

 

Here is a whole table of irradiated glass.

 

I do not know much on the subject. I do know glass is artificially purpled. irradiated in some way.

If it was nuked, shouldn't the handle be purple as well?

 

the form was called a cannonball pitcher when Fenton made it for QVC in 2003-2005

http://www.fentonfan.com/cgi-bin/we...pagenum=1&cgifunction=Search&cgifunction=form

http://www.fentonfan.com/cgi-bin/we...pagenum=1&cgifunction=Search&cgifunction=form

 

Thank you, TallCakes! And here I thought everything Fenton did for QVC was overdecorated!
Don

 

It would have help if I had realized that mark on the bottom was an etched F. i thought it was left over glue from a price tag. Must have been a second.
Don

 

I believe the handle is a different type of glass. Not all types will turn purple. I think the handles on these are made from a type of glass deemed to be stronger that is different from the glass in the body of the piece.

This is a topic of frequent discussion in the bottle groups I hang out in. It was only recently that I became aware that items other then bottles were receiving this treatment and causing chaos in the collecting world. I believe that this will become more common as the trend catches on with the people doing this to think beyond bottles and into all glassware.

 

I must confess it is very attractive in purple though despite the controversy surrounding the process. I do not know the value of the piece in original condition but if it is indeed irradiated, and were to be sold as such, it may well find a buyer that does not mind at all and is thrilled to have a lovely amethyst pitcher!

 

@buyingtime777

I did a quick search prior to posting the above. The irradiated examples of pitchers all had purple handles. That is why I questioned it.

 

Called a celery handle here.

 

My first reaction was that the handle is a different type of glass on this example. I could be completely wrong but I have looked at a lot of irradiated bottles and that hue is pretty distinctive.

I am not a glassie but I am a shameless bottle hound. I bought the first irradiated bottle I saw years ago when it started thinking I had something exciting. I still have it as a reminder.

If a person has a valuable piece the condition can be reversed BTW. It cost a couple of hundred dollars but it can be done.

 

James Measell's "Fenton Glass Especially for QVC" shows a 2002 similar sized pitcher with a thumbprint type design that has the same coloration...purple on top, blue on bottom, with a clear handle.

Wow, sorry for resurrecting this - just realized the post dates back to 2018.

 

@Charlotte - It happens sometimes.

I was 9 posts in before I looked at the date & the only reason I looked was I noticed desperate_fun's avatar. I can't look at a piece of Loetz glass without thinking of him.

 

Thank you, Charlotte. I actually sold the pitcher as Fenton shortly after the original posting. As I remember it sold pretty quickly. Still, I appreciate that you took the time to research and respond. Additional information is always appreciated as I never know when I might run across another of these pitchers. Thanks again.
Don