Reproduction Cherry Blossom Pattern Depression Glass

by Jeff Settell, N&V Editor
Volume 23 No. 9 - May 1997

Editor's Note: This article was condensed from Vol. 4 No.1 of Antique & Collectors Reproduction News (ACRN). The original issue included 29 close up photos and illustrations of Cherry Blossom Depression glass. ACRN is a monthly newsletter devoted entirely to antique fakes and reproductions of all subjects.

Cherry Blossom is one of the most popular Depression glass patterns. It was originally made by the Jeanette Glass Company, 1930-1939. Reproductions have been on the market since 1973. The majority of new pieces have been made overseas but some were manufactured in the United States. After an absence of a number of years, many pieces of Cherry Blossom are again being offered by reproduction wholesalers. This article includes both new pieces from the 1970s as well as the latest reproductions.

Reproduction Cherry Blossom has been made or is being made in the following shapes:

• berry bowl 8½"
• butter dish child's covered
• butter dish covered
• cake plate (on 3 feet)
• cereal bowl 5¾"
• child's cup and saucer
• cup and saucer (full size)
• pitcher 36oz. all over pattern (AOP) scalloped base
• plate 9" dinner
• shakers
• platter 13" divided
• tray 10½" two-handled sandwich

• tumbler (AOP), scalloped foot

New colors include pink, green, red, transparent blue, Delphite, cobalt blue and a variety of iridized finishes.

General Differences Between New And Old

Most reproduction Depression glass feels slick and greasy. This is due to a high sodium content in the glass formula and is a common warning sign of reproduced glass, in general. There is also a lingering vinegar smell to the new glass that is not always easy to wash away. Since the smell wears away with time, it is generally not noticeable on new pieces a few years old, but very obvious on pieces less than several months old.

As a broad general rule, most Cherry Blossom reproductions can be identified by poorly shaped cherries and leaves. Old leaves have a realistic appearance with serrated (sawtooth) edges and veins that vary in length and thickness. New leaves commonly have perfectly straight and uniformly even veins that form V's (Fig. 2, at left). Original cherries usually give an illusion of a rounded 3-D ball-shaped figure; many new cherries appear to be only a flat circle. Differences between old and new patterns are generally greater in earlier 1970s reproductions than in more recent reproductions.

Differences Between Specific Pieces

• TUMBLERS: In the original all-over-pattern (AOP) scallop foot tumbler, the smooth band at top is separated from the pattern below by three continuous lines. There are two styles of reproduction AOP scallop foot tumblers which we are calling Style A and Style B. Style A was first seen in the mid-1970s and continues to be made today. The smooth band around the top rim of Style A tumblers is separated from the pattern by one line embossed in the glass (see Fig. 3-A at right).
  New Style B tumblers do have three lines around the top rim but the lines are not continuous. They are strongest above the design panels but disappear completely over the rib between panels (see Fig. 3-B at right). This style was made in pink, green and Delphite blue which are close matches for original colors. Style B was made around 1980 and was first described by H. M. Weatherman in Price Trends 1981, but is not mentioned by other previous authors.
• BUTTER DISH LID: New lids have a smooth band separated from the rest of the lid by a single line as in Fig. 4 (shown at the end of this article). On old lids, the band is separated by two lines.
• 8½" BERRY BOWL: Made new in pink, green and cobalt blue (cobalt was not an old production color). Turn the bowl over and look at the bottom. There are 9 cherries in the bottom of the old arranged in groups of 4, 2 and 3. The 9 cherries in the new bowl are arranged in groups of 4, 1 and 4 (see Fig. 5 below).
• CEREAL BOWL: The circle in the bottom of the new cereal bowl is 2" in diameter; the circle in the bottom of old bowls is 2½" (see Figs. 6 and 7 below).
• SHAKERS: New shakers have much more solid glass in the bottom than the old (Fig. 8, at right). The flared top rim of new shakers appears like four separate squared-off tabs. Top rims on old shakers are scalloped with curves. Keep in mind that only a few original shakers are known - finding one at the local flea market would be very unlikely.

A Word Of Caution

The only common link among new Cherry Blossom shapes is the poorly formed leaves and cherries. All other information applies only to the specific shapes being discussed unless noted. Information on the berry bowl, for example, cannot be applied to the cereal bowls. Base your judgment of age on molded details that were created when the piece was made. Don't be influenced by factors which could have been added after manufacturing such as artificial wear created by sandpaper or a "good story." Reproductions are becoming more accurate all the time. There could easily be reproductions on the market that are better than the ones discussed here.