Scalloped Six Point–Vintage Whimsey or Not
By Dick Betker
Jim Wroda was having a huge two-day auction of carnival glass on November 13th and 14th, 2015. This is their customer appreciation event, something you have to attend to believe, so we made our hotel reservations, planning on going. As it got nearer to our departing time, health issues came up and we had to cancel.
Jim does live phone bidding, so, that was the logical thing to do. The item that I was most interested in was a miniature marigold spittoon. Sherry had talked to Jim and he, even though no maker or pattern was known, assured her that it was old. How did Jim decide that, not knowing the maker or pattern? Was it being experienced or just having an auctioneer’s hunch, or what? But whatever it was, he was absolutely correct, it is old. The bidding was furious and vicious at times but when it was all over, this spittoon was heading our way and into our collection.
This tiny spittoon was the apple of everyone’s eye at the Jim Wroda auction in November 2015 which featured the collection of Bette and Jim Chapman.
This little jewel is whimsied from a toothpick holder, Scalloped Six Point, made by Duncan and Miller Glass Co., Washington, Pennsylvania. Thanks to Barb Chamberlin for investigating it for me and coming up with the maker and pattern name. This spittoon is two inches high, with a two‐inch square top and has a one-inch base. I have enclosed a photo, from the museum files, of the toothpick holder this was made from, and I have also enclosed a photo of the spittoon next to our Flute toothpick. holder.
The toothpick above is the one that was featured in the Duncan and Miller catalog. It is identified as Scalloped Six Point.
This photo compares the size of the purple Flute toothpick to the Scalloped Six Point spittoon whimsey.
There is a Duncan and Miller Museum in Washington, PA. I got the number and gave them a call. I talked with a woman named Sherry, yes, another Sherry, and she told me the museum was closed for the winter and would not be open until April. Right now, she was very busy doing inventory and it sounded like she didn’t have the time and really didn’t want to talk with me. I told her that I might have something that she would be interested in. She reluctantly gave me her email address and I sent her photos of the spittoon. WOW did her tune change! It was like, OMG, WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET THIS!!?? In all the years that I have worked here, I have never seen anything like it. I said to her that, (if I tell you, I’m going to have to kill you). No… I didn’t say that, although I thought about it, <smile>. I told her how I came about it, and now it was up to her. Could she give me any information about its making? She gave me some.
She told me this particular pattern, Scalloped Six Point, was made from 1897 to 1905 and it was done in many shapes, but never a spittoon. She told me she would talk to other people involved at the museum and would let me know what she found out. I asked if Duncan and Miller had the equipment for iridescence on their pieces and she immediately stated that they never iridized any glass and they did not have the proper equipment to do so. Wow, this is turning out to be a real mystery. They never made a spittoon, and they never iridized any glass at all. Questions with no answers and lots of speculation. I will just have to wait and see what Sherry can find out about this mystery piece.
Ok, it has been ten days and Sherry, from the museum, has not gotten back to me, but, I received a package today from Jim Wroda, totally unexpected. I was very taken by surprise, because he sent me a crystal Scalloped Six Point spittoon. The spittoon that museum Sherry said they never made. Alright, another mystery. Ok … I think it’s time to get ahold of detective Columbo. I have enclosed a photo of this spittoon from Jim.
You can see the marigold Scalloped Six Point mini spittoon beside the crystal one.
This photo shows the top view of the two spittoons showing the tiny openings
Tried to call Jim but he is busy until seven pm tonight, which at that time, I will be at a restaurant with Sherry, my nephew and his wife, a good friend and his wife, and my son, so I will have to call Jim on Monday, unless we are done dining in time, then I will call him when I get home and find out just how he came about having the crystal spittoon.
Ok, I called Jim when I got home, and he said that they were inventorying glass for an upcoming auction and this spittoon was one of the items. Now remember, just a couple weeks ago, I bought the marigold spittoon from Jim, and now he has a crystal one in the exact same pattern, WOW…WHAT ARE THE ODDS? I think that it’s just fantastic that he sent it to me and now the mystery deepens.
Well, it’s the middle of February now and Museum Sherry still has not gotten back to me. Her information, if she has any, will have to wait. Who knows—maybe another whole article.
Photos courtesy of Dick Betker.
This article first appeared in the ICGA Pump in the March 2016 issue and is reprinted with permission.