Nesting Swan

Nesting Swan

By Steve Hazlett

One of the better known designs in carnival glass. A serene and naturalistic pattern created by John Fenton and the Millersburg Glass Company. This pattern I find to be exquisite in detail and workmanship of the glass. It’s a favorite of mine, as I have three different examples.

I have green, amethyst and one I will call pastel marigold. All are in the ten inch ruffle shape. They are also available in a candy ribbon edge. There are also examples of square and tri cornered shaped bowls. A deep eight inch round bowl is known as an extremely rare version. Two more rare shapes are a green spittoon whimsy and a marigold rose bowl. As for rare colors, there is a vaseline and a blue example. Also a honey amber color is known. These pieces also come with a satin finish or a fine Radium finish. The bowls I own all have Radium finish.

The exterior pattern is Diamond and Fan which blends well with the overall composition of the bowl. Diamond and Fan is a combination of fans that reverse each other, with prisms of diamonds. On the Marie, there a star formed from the prisms of diamonds with small fans surrounding the top of the star.

The interior pattern consists of having a graceful Swan sitting on a nest of reeds. It is surrounded by a combination of blossoms, cattails and leaves. All of which have a stippled effect, that provides a contrast and makes the scene stand out. I like the balance of the interior scene combined with the secondary exterior pattern. The color, finish and workmanship are quite excellent. The Nesting Swan is one of carnival glasses works of art.