Steuben Glass Colorful Glasses, Vases, Figurines, and Tableware
The production of Steuben glass began in Steuben County, in the city of Corning, New York by
Frederic Carder. Carder was an ardent lover of colored glass, a gifted artist and draftsman. His
sketches were turned into fabulously colorful glasses, vases, figurines, and tableware. In 1918,
Carder sold his company to Corning Glass Works.
Steuben glass was often made in bright colors, as well as opaque and translucent colors. Some of
the translucent colors were Amethyst, Verre de Soie, Celeste Blue, and Flemish Blue. Some of the
opaque colors were Alabaster, Mirror Black, Calcite, Green Jade, and Light Blue Jade. Besides these
Steuben also made iridescent colors, such as the gold and blue known as Aurene. Others that were
equally stunning are Cluthra, a thin, cased milky glass with bubbles and colors inside, Cintra,
which is similar to Cluthra, Intarsia, which has colored flowers within the glass, and Silverina,
which has square airbubbles inside the glass.
Besides glasses, Steuben also made figurines, mainly elephants, gazelles, and geese. These were
mainly produced in clear leaded glass, or cire-perdue glass. The gazelles and elephants were
made from molds, and are very rare, but the one of a kind cire-perdue glass items are mostly found
in musuems.
Steuben glass is exemplary of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, is very rare, and disappears
rapidly when if becomes available. But, Carder's artistic vision of exquisite colors of Steuben
glass live on today in many lucky collector's displays.
