Chocolate Glass: Indiana and Greentown Pressed Glass

Chocolate glass is a distinctive opaque pressed glass in a rich, streaky brown color ranging from caramel to deep chocolate. It was first produced by the Indiana Tumbler & Goblet Company in Greentown, Indiana, in 1900, when glassworker Jacob Rosenthal developed the formula. The factory burned in 1903, making genuine Greentown chocolate glass relatively scarce. The name comes from its resemblance to milk chocolate. Fenton Art Glass and other companies later produced their own versions, but original Greentown chocolate glass remains the most sought-after by collectors.

Patterns and Forms

The Indiana Tumbler & Goblet Company produced chocolate glass in several pressed patterns:

• Cactus - The most common Greentown chocolate glass pattern, featuring an allover bumpy texture resembling cactus skin.

• Leaf Bracket - A pattern with leaf and scroll motifs along the edges.

• Dewey - A pattern commemorating Admiral George Dewey and the Spanish-American War.

• Austrian - A geometric pattern with ribbed panels and medallions.

• Shuttle - A simple pattern with elongated oval motifs. One of the rarer patterns.

• Wild Rose with Bowknot - Floral decoration with ribbon bows.

• Novelty items - Animal-covered dishes (hen, cat, rabbit, dolphin), mugs, and figural pieces. These are among the most desirable forms.

Identification

Genuine Greentown chocolate glass has a distinctive color that varies from piece to piece due to the difficulty of controlling the formula. The color should show natural streaking and variation, not uniform coloring.

Greentown pieces are not marked; identification relies on known patterns, forms, and the characteristic color. Later reproductions by Fenton (marked with the Fenton logo after 1970), Imperial, and others are generally more uniform in color and may have different mold details.

The weight and feel of genuine Greentown pieces differs subtly from later reproductions. Study authentic examples in museums and reference books to develop familiarity with the originals.

Auction Price Ranges

Condition Factors

Chocolate glass is relatively durable, but chips on rims and edges are the most common damage. Because the glass is opaque, internal fractures are difficult to detect -- run your fingers over surfaces to feel for hidden cracks.

Covered dishes must have their original lids; replacements or mismatched lids drastically reduce value. The figural covered dishes (hen, cat, dolphin) should have intact finials and undamaged animal forms.

Minor mold roughness on the base is normal and does not affect value. Surface staining from mineral deposits can sometimes be removed with careful cleaning, but avoid harsh chemicals that could damage the surface.

Collecting Tips

Greentown chocolate glass has a devoted following, centered around the Greentown Glass Museum in Greentown, Indiana. The most valuable pieces are the figural covered dishes and the rarer patterns like Shuttle and Wild Rose.

Cactus pattern pieces are the most readily available and offer an affordable starting point. Be cautious of reproductions -- Fenton produced chocolate glass intermittently from the 1960s-2000s, and while these are collectible in their own right, they should not be confused with (or priced as) original Greentown.

Study reference books like James Measell's "Greentown Glass" for pattern identification. The brief three-year production window (1900-1903) gives Greentown chocolate glass genuine scarcity that supports collector interest.

Other factories, including the National Glass Company and McKee, also experimented with brown opaque glass formulas, and these pieces are sometimes encountered alongside Greentown examples.