Dugan’s Lattice & Points Tales from the Mad Hatter Part VIII 

By Kate Lavelle

It’s teatime once again for we dedicated hat vase connoisseurs. Let’s settle ourselves into our coziest chairs with the comfiest pillows to enjoy our individual favorite blends of tea. Some may prefer to use their Royal Doulton china teacups with the hand painted periwinkles if they’re like Hyacinth Bucket (er… Bouquet) from that old classic BBC sitcom Keeping up Appearances, but the majority of us are generally less extravagant in our choice of teacups. In this installment, all teatime snacks will be offered in Dugan’s delightful Lattice and Points hat vases.

So, without further eloquence, you knew to expect that I would present some of the controversial topics within this pattern. Like many things in life, controversy can and does exist for a myriad of reasons. One point of this pattern is without controversy; Dugan initially made these pretty gems with Diamond manufacturing them for a period of time as well. However, it’s definitely one of those intriguing patterns that has often times gotten researchers and collectors into major disagreements all over such a sweet, meek, harmless and pleasing pattern.

Above is a pretty example of a peach opal Lattice and Points hat vase.

Controversy about this pattern even begins with the pattern name, and it has had several. During the early pioneering days of carnival glass research, well-meaning authors such as Marion Hartung, Rose Presznick, Sherman Hand and several other well-respected carnival glass authors gave this, and many other patterns, several different names. It seems fairly well accepted by the majority of collectors in these modern times that the title of Lattice and Points has pretty much won out over the other less commonly used pattern names. According to vase maven extraordinaire, Joan Doty, writing in Diane Fry’s excellent website Carnival Heaven, “Mrs. Hartung identified the vase, with the Daisy interior, as Lattice & Points (IV-­‐14); the bowl and ruffled version of the vase, or hat, with the smooth interior, as Vining Twigs (VI-­‐74). Had she seen the vase with the smooth interior and the bowl with the daisy, she would no doubt have done a revision. Sherman Hand named the vase Diamond and Daisy (Ency-­‐189), and Rose Presznick called it Diamond and Shrub (3-­‐46).”

Perhaps the main or most paramount controversial topic has been whether or not Lattice and Points is simply a reworked copy or version of Dugan’s Grapevine Lattice tumbler mould. I positively agree that the inspiration may certainly have been there. Without doubt, there are several similar design elements, but with detailed examination of several examples, I have proven that these hats, swung vases, plates and low bowls were made from an entirely different mould than the Grapevine Lattice tumbler mould. The data recorded below should finally put to rest any further questions or claims of a reworked mould.

To compare patterns, on the left above is a Grapevine Lattice hat and on the right is the Lattice and Points hat. Both are Dugan-­‐Diamond patterns.

Let’s compare a Grapevine Lattice tumbler with a Lattice and Points hat vase. The base of the Grapevine Lattice tumbler is two and three-eighths inches in diameter. Lattice and Points measures two and three-fourths to two and seven-eighths inches in diameter. Above the exterior lip of the base is a one-half inch grass like motif. Lattice and Points also sports a similar one‐half inch grass like feature, but they are not identical upon close examination. Grapevine Lattice sports several perfect O’s or circular shapes among the grasses, while Lattice and Points have none of these. There is a horizontal band above the grass on both patterns, these too are quite similar, but really do not match. The major difference becomes evident as we examine the “diamonds” or “lattices.” Grapevine Lattice has a series of eight horizontal half lattices directly above the twiggy horizontal band that is over the grass. Lattice and Points has only four. This is consistent all the way to the top border; on Grapevine Lattice there are never more than two complete lattices from top to bottom, yet all Lattice and Points have three complete lattices from top to bottom. As we all know, the lattice is always smooth on Lattice and Points, where Grapevine Lattice is twig-like, rough and quite like a grape vine as opposed to lattice, which is smooth.

Above left is the grass-­‐like motif of the Grapevine Lattice hat vase, and the Lattice and Points motif is on the right. Notice that there are O’s or circular shaped among the grass. You see no O’s on the Lattice and Points.

Additionally, if these were made from a tumbler mould, why have we yet to see a Lattice and Points tumbler? Are there only hats, swung vases, low bowls and rare plates? Inquiring minds want to know! Sorry, to say but the Mad Hatter doesn’t and never bought into the ideology that it’s the same mould. Have you personally ever seen a Lattice and Points tumbler? Oh, mercy, how I’d love to be proven wrong on this, and so if you actually own one, send me a photo. I’m not interested in hearsay, old gossip and stories about someone else seeing one somewhere sometime. I’m not from Missouri, but gosh darn it, show me.

Another design element seen only in Lattice and Points is the lovely daisy like flower with twenty petals surrounding the central dimpled floral disk. This is found on the interior bottom of some, but not all examples. Emanating up the sides of those with the daisy interior are three- and one-half rows of textured diamond structures that appear to be a type of foliage effect. A smooth plunger was used on the examples without the daisy; therefore, they also lack these rows of “foliage” on the interior sides.

This daisy type flower is another design element of Lattice and Points pattern with textured diamond features.

Let’s talk color. Lattice and Points in its various forms is available in a nice variety of the Dugan spectrum of base colors. There are amethyst and purple shades, blue, lavender, several shades of marigold, peach opal, clambroth and white. I personally have only seen the hats in the amethyst hues, marigold, peach opal and white. Dugan expert Dr. Larry Keig stated in an article on Diane Fry’s Carnival 101 that the hats are found in “marigold, amethyst and purple, white, peach opal, pastel marigold or clambroth, pastel marigold or clambroth opal.”

Several colors are known in the Lattice and Points. Above on the left is a spectacular white hat vase. To compare hat vases to bowl, on the right shows a low ruffled bowl in marigold.

Hat vase heights and widths also vary with some as short as three and one‐fourth inches to almost five inches. Overall, diameters average anywhere from five to six inches in general. As to form, I personally have only seen the eight ruffles in the hat vases, but never say never in Carnival Glass. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there are JIPs or two-­sides up examples somewhere out there in Wonderland.

Above you see an array of vases and hat vases in a range of colors.

And so, we’ll close this tea party with a very uncontroversial, warm, fuzzy, feel-good Mad Hatter’s tea party from Mr. Walt Disney. And a very merry Unbirthday to you! Let’s celebrate yours today, since we all have 364 Unbirthdays a year.

Thanks again for coming, we’re always glad to see your smiling face!

Photos courtesy of Kate Lavelle.

This article first appeared in the ICGA Pump in the December 2016 issue and is reprinted with permission.