Beaded Panels
By Dr. Larry Keig
Beaded Panels is an appealing pattern found on the exterior of compotes. Sixteen strands of tiny beads run lengthwise from near the top to almost the bottom of the vessel.
Between the strings of beads are wide and thick concave panels. The interior of the bowl is un-patterned. These compotes are, at their widest point, about six and one-fourth to six and one-half inches across the top. They stand from about three and one-half to three and three-fourth inches tall.
The Conventional
Shown, on top is the back showing the strands of beads. Below is the unique open stem.
The most eye-catching element of the compote is the stem, a feature unique to Dugan glass (classic carnival and the non-iridescent opalescent made by Northwood before the Dugans took controlling interest in the southwest Pennsylvania plant). It is a bulbous four-part shape with open areas between each part. All surfaces are faceted. The three and one-fourth inch base of the compote is plain.
Nearly all Beaded Panels compotes that have been reported are peach opal and amethyst/purple. Every peach opal and purple that has been confirmed is tricorner with a tightly-crimped edge.
Three tri-corner compotes are shown in the photo above.
The base color of the scarce amethyst/ purple is nearly opaque, often described as fiery amethyst or oxblood. Most of these are iridized on both surfaces but a number have non-iridescent exteriors. The color quality varies, in general and from inside to outside.
A spectacular example sold on the Pacific Northwest convention auction in 1999. It brought $425. It would bring more now, nearly a quarter century later. Unfortunately, no photograph of it is available.
Shown above are two amethyst/purple compotes – one showing the interior and the other the exterior.
The first of the illustrated examples shows the exterior of one with rich Concord grape color and brilliant green highlights. The other photos show an example with a multi- color interior and its non-iridescent exterior. Those with non- iridescent backs are generally considered less desirable than those with an iridescent outer surface.
The peach opal are even more variable in color quality than the amethyst/purple. The marigold overlay on some is dark with rich iridescence. The color on others is weak, sometimes with a clear area in the center. Some have lots of opalescence on the exterior, others little.
The Anamalous
Beaded Panels compotes have also been confirmed in marigold. However, their shape is different from the conventional tri-corner. They are, instead, a broadly six-ruffled. One in this shape is described as clambroth in an unattributed online article (Worthpoint). It looks more like a light marigold than clambroth. It was probably made by Diamond but might possibly have been a late Dugan product. Neither marigold nor clambroth in this shape or the tri-corner has been reported as having been sold in the HoC database as of late July 2023.
Another six-ruffled round Beaded Panels compote, above, surfaced at a Wroda auction in December 2020. Rather than peach opal, dark purple, or marigold, typical colors made by Dugan, its surface color is smoke.
The vast majority of Beaded Panels compotes were made by Dugan sometime between 1909 and 1913. The smoke example was almost certainly produced from the original mold later, probably in the late teens, by Diamond.
The ruffled Beaded Panels compote in smoke may have been experimental, an attempt to imitate the best of the smoke being produced in large quantities by Imperial in the late teens and early twenties. It’s doubtful it was ever a line item. The decision not to mass produce it may have been made by company management because the quality of iridescence, at least on the illustrated example, leaves much to be desired. It’s possible Diamond craftsmen found it impossible to determine the chemical balance for making smoke carnival that would compare favorably with Imperial’s.
This article first appeared in the ICGA Pump in the September 2023 issue and is reprinted with permission.