have a characteristic platinum sheen to them like this twisted stem compote.
Decorated Blue Aurene
The feet of this cologne
were made by a difficult extrusion process much as like a cake decorator would
pipe icing.
Notice the brilliant sheen of the blue aurene in this later piece. Carder developed the aurenes from a near matte finish in the early years to the brighter and more vibrant hues such as this piece. Some collectors have a personal preference towards the later and some the earlier, both are beautiful.
Frederick Carder made many aritcles to be used as lamp bases. Many of the items that were made as lamp bases were not available in any other form. These lamp bases were drilled at the factory for the lamp manufacturer. Below are two examples of blue aurene that can be found in lamp bases although few are known to exist.
Shape
6101
Shape
6101
Shape
6098
All of the above vases are referred to as "CRACKLE" although evidently there is two different techniques used to obtain the results. It seems that the term "CRACKLE" is like many other Carder names that have multiple meanings. The first base resembles a technique used on some calcite lamp shades that is documented as "Crackled Calcite". The second set of bases resembles more the vining effect used on other decorated aurene pieces.
Recreations and Fakes
Mimicry is the highest form of flattery!
There are many examples of pieces today that have a strong resemblance to Blue Aurene. Tiffany's Blue Favrille which was made in the same time period as Aurene can be mistaken because of the high level of craftsmanship, similar shapes, and years of wear on the bottom of the pieces.
There are also currently several companies that produce irridescent glass in the manner of Carder. These recreations resemble Carder's work, but the construction of the pieces differs enough that they can be told apart. The piece to the left is a blue irridescent vase with a fake signature. Signatures are a small part of identification of Steuben. A correct signature on a genuine piece is always welcome, but should never be a determining point in attribution. For instance, sometimes one will run across Steuben pieces with fake Tiffany signatures or less common, pieces that were signed incorrectly at the Steuben factory.
