Rose Bowls

Rose bowls can be considered one of the ultimate glass collectibles because they are made using every variation of glass and technique. You can get the entire history of glass making in rose bowls if given sufficient time and money.

Rose bowls are small, three to four inches in diameter, and are usually round. The opening in the top of the bowl is usually rather small and is often crimped or ruffled, but does not turn back over the shoulders of the bowl. There are some rose bowls that are more egg-shaped, but most are round.

Used to hold potpourri, rose bowls have been made in vast numbers every since the late part of the Nineteenth Century. They were especially popular during the Victorian era, when rose petals or other fragrant contents made the interior spaces of the Victorian home smell sweeter. This form continues to be popular as we also have discovered the joys of a sweet smelling interior.

Rose bowls may be flat on the bottom, have a molded flat base, feet or stand on a stem or pedestal. They come in all colors, including custard and milk glass, and are found in many of the pattern glass patterns. Cut glass rose bowls and cut to clear rose bowls are also found in profusion. Plain rose bowls are also decorated using enamel paints, or have etched designs added to them. Rose bowls also come in many colors and patterns of carnival glass and depression glass.

Once you start looking around, you will begin to see the many rose bowls not only on the market but in the homes of friends and family. These decorative and sweet smelling glass objects are a welcome addition to any interior, and demonstrate the history of glass making techniques and glass styles over time.

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Duncan & Miller Glass

George Duncan purchased the Ripley & Company glass factory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1865 from his partner D.C. Ripley. The new glass company was named George Duncan & Sons. The sons consisted of Harry B. Duncan, James E. Duncan and Augustus H. Heisey, son-in-law. The company employed John Ernest Miller in 1874 as designer, and his designs became internationally famous over the next 52 years.

Duncan and Sons became part of the United States Glass Company formed in 1890, but a fire destroyed both the Duncan facility and their ties to the U.S. Glass combine. After the fire, A.H. Heisey left the company to begin his own glass house, and James E. Duncan rebuilt in Washington, Pennsylvania. Production resumed under the Duncan name in 1893.

In 1900, Miller became part owner of the newly incorporated Duncan and Miller Glass Company, and the company continued to produce fine hand-finished glass until 1955, when mechanization made the hand finishing process uneconomical. The U.S. Glass Company bought the equipment and molds, and Duncan glass continued to be produced by the U.S. Glass factory in Tiffin, Ohio until 1980.

See Duncan & Miller glass.

Duncan produced fine glass by using unique batch formulas to produce their various colors of glass, and using teams of from ten to fourteen men to produce the pieces of many popular styles. The company also produced several popular etching designs, including First Love, the Language of Flowers and Passion Flower.

The National Duncan Glass Society was founded in 1975, and it operates the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, Pennsylvania. (http://duncanmiller.net/)

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