Millersburg Potpourri Amethyst Radium Milk Pitcher

This Millersburg Potpouri milk pitcher made its debut at the Tampa Bay Carnival Glass Club convention auction on February 11, 2017. It is the first reported one made in the base color Amethyst.

These pitchers have only been known to have been made in one base color only; marigold. Since marigold is actually clear based glass with a marigold sprayed on iridescence, this means that this pitcher has only been made in a clear base glass, found with and without iridescence. David Doty's page on Potpourri Milk Pitchers shows the marigold version. Even though marigold was the only color known, there are only a few that have been reported, less than ten, so the marigold version is considered very rare and this amethyst version is the only one known. Potpourri is also the back pattern for Millersburg's Poppy compotes.

The auctioneer, Tom Burns, described it as M'BURG POTPOURRI HANDLED MILK PITCHER--AMETHYST (NEWLY FOUND M'BURG RARITY; RADIUM AND ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST!!).  Now this aucton featured the Gary Vandevander collection but this pitcher was not a part of it. Tom tells me this pitcher has been in Gary Emmett's private collection in Long Island, New York for over eighteen years. Eighteen years?! I wondered "Who could keep a secret like this from the Carnival Glass community for eighteen years?" Certainly not me!

The auction catalog photos did not do this pitcher justice. The electric iridescence is breathtaking. You would even say it actually glows! I think the ultimate reward in finding an item that is the "only one reproted" is that it is also an exceptionally beautifulf example to boot.  I find this pattern is comparable to Imperial's high voltage examples of Diamond Lace.

This pitcher is made with a 4-part mould. It measures 7 inches tall, top opening of 4 inches wide and 6 1/2 inches from handle to spout. The base has the Millersburg Star and has a diameter of just over 2 3/4 inches wide. 

Now, the design is very interesting as it reminds me of other patterns. It has six large stars around the upper portion with deep grooved arches surrounding them that capture light and iridescence (like the deep wide lines in Octagon). Beneath each of those six stars there is a medallion of six tiny stars in a circle (also the same found on Octagon) with another type of star in the middle of those.

Also, there are files. downward fans, a golden saw-toothed scalloped rim, and six double verticle rows of notched/serrated lines. All four of these details can be found on Imperial's Chatelaine pattern.

But most of all, I consider Millersburg's Country Kitchen pattern to be a direct decendent of Potpourri because it has the same large stars, files, fans, arches, saw-tooth scalloped rim, and verticle rows of notched/serrated lines. So. both Imperial and Millersburg utilized the same geometric designs and most likely employed the same mould maker. Wow!

And now I wonder why, oh why, did they make only one amethyst milk pitcher? It is absolutely beautiful. And then why did they only make milk pitchers in this pattern to begin with? These are very good questions.

Here is my theory. Millersburg's Country Kitchen pattern featured a breakfast set made primarily in amethyst, consisting in creamers, covered sugars, spooners, and butterdishes, but they did not have any milk pitchers made in this pattern. Correction-- David Doty reports there are two known Country Kitchen milk pitchers in marigold. I think perhaps the creation of this amethyst Potpourri milk pitcher was an attempt to provide a companion pitcher to the Country Kitchen breakfast set. For some reason, both attempts to make pitchers in Country Kitchen and Potpourri were abandoned. So few were made and I think they were just an experimental run. I'm not sure about copywrite laws a hundred years ago, but it makes me wonder how Imperial and Millersburg would have reacted to each other seeing their patterns copied so closely. It is my guess Imperial created the pattern details first, judging by the overwhelming pieces that were produced. 

So now, in closing, I would like to go back to the last owner of this pitcher. I spoke to a friend in an email about the willpower this person must have had to keep this discovery a secret  for sixteen sixteen years.  My friend explained it to me like this:

"You know Christina, one of the most intriguing things about searching for and collecting old glassware, are the many possibilities to finding one-off or one of a limited run in colors, shapes, and after-mold augmentation. It seems there is an entire ocean (though elusive) of gems that await the alert and diligent! I believe some collectors get a thrill just knowing they may have a great rarity in their possession. Some squirrel things away never to see light again until reintroduced into the world at some point.

Some people never display things they like, or may take them out on occasion, such as a fine dinnerware setting. These are the type of collectors that do not feel it pertinent to share their holdings with others. In some cases, although seeming selfish, they actually deny themselves from viewing such pieces at times! To some, the mere joy of owning and knowing that one or more items are unique, could be all the 'high' they require to keep smiling!"

The Christina Katsikas Collection