Milk Glass: Opaque White Glass with Century-Spanning Appeal
Milk glass is opaque or translucent white glass produced by adding tin dioxide, bone ash, or other opacifiers to the glass batch. Made in Europe from the 16th century and in America from the mid-19th century onward, milk glass was mass-produced during the Victorian era as an affordable alternative to porcelain. Collectors today prize both the elegant early examples and the utilitarian pressed glass pieces that populated American households for over a century.
History and Development
European milk glass (lattimo) dates to 16th-century Venice, where glassmakers sought to imitate Chinese porcelain. American production began in earnest in the 1860s, with companies like Atterbury, Westmoreland, Fenton, and Kemple producing vast quantities of pressed milk glass tableware, covered dishes, and decorative items. The peak of American production ran from the 1870s through the 1920s, with major revivals in the 1950s and 1960s.
Types and Forms
- Covered animal dishes: Hens on nests, roosters, ducks, rabbits, and other figural covered dishes
- Tableware: Plates, compotes, goblets, and serving pieces in pressed patterns
- Lamps: Kerosene lamp bases and shades in various pressed patterns
- Vanity items: Dresser sets, powder boxes, and cologne bottles
- Novelty pieces: Figural items, shoes, hands, and other Victorian whimsies
- Colored milk glass: Blue, green, pink, black, and caramel opaque glass varieties
Identification
- Makers: Atterbury (patent dates on bases), Westmoreland (keystone W mark), Fenton (oval logo), McKee, Challinor Taylor
- Fire test: Hold to strong light; old milk glass often shows a distinctive fiery opalescence at thin edges
- Weight: Antique milk glass is generally heavier than modern reproductions
- Mold quality: Earlier pieces show sharper mold detail
- Surface texture: Genuine antique pieces have a slightly different surface feel than modern reproductions
Auction Price Ranges
| Item | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Atterbury covered animal dish (rare form) | $200 - $1,000 |
| Blue opaque covered animal dish | $150 - $600 |
| Hen on nest, standard white | $30 - $100 |
| Caramel slag covered dish | $100 - $400 |
| Westmoreland pattern glass compote | $25 - $75 |
| Figural lamp base (19th century) | $75 - $300 |
| Painted/decorated plate (artist signed) | $40 - $150 |
| Victorian vanity set (complete) | $75 - $250 |
| Single common plate or bowl | $5 - $25 |
Condition Factors
- Chips: Extremely common due to the glass composition; even small chips reduce value noticeably
- Staining: Milk glass can develop internal yellowish discoloration that is impossible to remove
- Paint decoration: Original painted designs are often worn; intact paint adds significant value
- Lid fit: Covered dishes with ill-fitting or replaced lids lose substantial value
- Color consistency: Even, pure white glass is preferred; greenish or grayish tints are less desirable
Collecting Tips
Covered animal dishes remain the most popular category, with rare forms and unusual colors commanding strong prices. Atterbury patent-dated pieces from the 1870s-1880s are among the most desirable. Blue milk glass is significantly rarer and more valuable than white. Caramel slag (marble) glass pieces bridge milk glass and slag glass collecting. The reproduction market is extensive, particularly for hen-on-nest dishes, so learn to distinguish old from new by weight, mold sharpness, and the fiery edge test. Westmoreland reproduced many of their own earlier designs through the 1980s, complicating dating. Despite the low entry cost for common pieces, rare forms and colors have shown steady appreciation over decades.