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Milk Glass Definition

Defining milk glass is easy; it's deciding which pieces to collect that becomes perplexing. For many people, milk glass brings happy memories of Grandma's house, or perhaps of the covered hen dish that sat in the kitchen during their childhood.

History
- Milk glass first appeared in Venice, Italy during the 14th or 15th century and was produced for the wealthy. Later, it was made as an inexpensive replacement for porcelain.
Identification
- Milk glass is characterized by an opaque white, milky appearance. It may also be found in later pieces in opaque blue, shell pink, soft green or other non white variations.
Early Pieces
- In early milk glass, tin oxide was added during processing. The tin oxide interacted with the chemical compounds of the glass and gave it its milky white appearance.
Victorian Pieces
- When making early Victorian milk glass in the 1840s, arsenic was added, and the pieces were dull but more opalescent. Later, lead glass was used, which produced a mild white color.
20th Century Pieces
- Turn of the century and later pieces were sometimes painted with enamels, embossed, or decorated with transfers. They could appear more dense and even in color or look more watery, depending on the manufacturer.
Fun Facts
- Milk glass comes in many shapes and sizes, such as hatpins, vases, bottle molds and covered dishes in animal shapes. Famous manufacturers include, Westmoreland, Fenton, Imperial and Fostoria (see Resources).

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