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Instructions
Patterns
Closely examine the pattern on the glass. While carnival glass makers had individual styles and techniques, they often used molds with similar floral and fruit motifs and many used the same patterns of repeating shapes such as fish scale and honey comb. Pay close attention to both the major elements of the pattern and the background details. Most carnival glass makers used grapes in their designs, but Dugan added a unique tree-bark background to some of his grape designs.
Check the glass guides and online auctions such as eBay for pieces with the same pattern or similar details and elements. The Dugan brothers took over the former Northwood glass plant in Indiana, Pennsylvania, in 1904 and acquired hundreds of molds for popular patterns. Although the Dugans began adding an iridescent finish to pieces created with those molds, they also created many of their own designs. Among their most popular patterns are a trio of chickens known as Farmyard; Honeycomb and Beads; and an intricate holly pattern called Christmas Compote. Carnival glass collector David Doty features an excellent pictorial guide to Dugan glass patterns on his web site.
Determine the color of the glass beneath the surface. Hold the piece up to the light and look at the color of the base or a section that isn̵7;t iridescent. Carnival glass was produced in a wide spectrum of shades, but for the Dugans, peach was their color of choice, and peach opalescent pieces were their calling cards. To create an opalescent effect, bone ash was added to hot glass and reheated. That final step gave pieces a frosty edge, or "siding," and most carnival glass experts agree that the Dugans produced about 90 percent of the peach opalescent pieces from the period. The Dugans also made lavender and white glass, and a far smaller number of blue and green pieces. They did not work in red.
Study the edges of the piece. Some carnival glass makers gave their glass pieces a crimped or ruffled edge. Many pieces of Dugan glass have ruffled sides or an odd, pinched shape that make them one-of-a-kind. Dugan also occasionally used the crimping technique, a more uniform series of smaller ruffles. Again, compare the edges and shapes with examples of carnival glass that has been identified as Dugan in online auctions and guides.
Identify the exceptions to the rule. In addition to carnival glass, Dugan also made three other noted lines of iridescent glass referred to as Venetian, Pompeian and Japanese. Unlike other carnival glass, that was produced by spraying the surface with minerals, Dugan made pieces for these lines by rolling them in glass fragments while the piece was still hot. While these pieces look very different than traditional carnival glass, they share some of the unusual pinches and pulled shapes that Dugan favored.
Look for a maker̵7;s mark which will, of course, take all the guess work out of identifying an antique piece of decorative glass. Marks are often found in the base but were sometimes worked into the pattern or design. Some, but far from all, Dugan pieces are stamped with a D inside a diamond. The company kept the mark when it was renamed Diamond Glass in 1913 after Thomas Dugan decided to leave the company and strike out own his own. However, Dugan glass is generally accepted as the glass produced in Pennsylvania factory from 1904 through 1913.