Rose Point -- Part II
by Lynn Welker
Issue #56 - December 1977
Our discussion this month will involve a closer look at the major lines the Cambridge Glass Company used for their Rose Point etching. There were three and they included the #3400, #3500 and #3900 Lines.
Having covered Rose Point stemware last month, we will examine table pieces such as plates, cups, saucers, creamers and sugars in this article.
We have no way of proving which Line was first introduced with the Rose Point etching. Both the #3400 and the #3500 Lines were in production when Rose Point was first introduced in early 1935. However, we do know that the #3900 Line did not come into use for Rose Point etching until the late 1940's.
The #3400 cup and
saucer are the most available of those made in Rose Point. The cup
features a four cornered effect which begins from the bottom of the
cup, raising to four points almost at the top of the cup. The edge of
the cup consists of a series of four scallops separated by three small
curves which coincide with the corner points molded on the cup.
The saucer has the same effect in six corner points which form a star in the bottom of the saucer. Six scallops separated each by three smaller curves decorate the edge of the saucer just as the four scallops do on the cup.
The #3400 plates drop the corner points or star effect typical of the Line, but retain the six scallops separated by three small curves on the edge. Plates available in this Line with Rose Point etching were the #60 6 in. bread and butter, #176 7½ in. salad, #62 8½ in. salad (luncheon), #63 9½ in. dinner and the #64 10½ in. service. The 7½ in. and 8½ in. plates are easiest to find, the 6 in. and 9½ in. plates are quite hard to find and the 10½ in. service plate is very rare.
The creamer and sugar show the corner effect of the #3400 Line as well as the fancy filigree handle which is so distinctive to the #3400 serving pieces.
The #3500 Line in
Rose Paint is the hardest to find in plates, cups and saucers. The cup
has a pedestal foot with ribs at the bottom of the bowl. The top edge
is scalloped with bumps separated by straight lines embossed around
both the top and bottom edges. These bumps are always found on the
Gadroon Line which gives its name to the #3500 Line.
The saucers and plates have the same six scallop effect as does the #3400 Line, but again as on the cups, the edge has the embossed Gadroon border. The plates known in Rose Point in the #3500 Line are the #3 6 in. bread and butter, #167 7½ in. salad and #5 8½ in. salad (luncheon). The 8½ in. plate is seen occasionally, whereas the 6 in. and 7½ in. plates are seldom seen. No dinner plate in this Line in Rose Point has been reported, but it is possible. Let us hear from you if you have one.
The creamer and sugar possess all the characteristics of the #3500 Line, including the pedestal foot, scalloped border with Gadroon edge and figured handles which end in leaves.
The last Line to be introduced with Rose Point etching was #3900. However, this Line is not seen as often as the #3400 in Rose Point.
The #3900 Line cup
has four large scallops separated by three points. The body of the cup
has ten optic lines molded into it. The saucer has ten scallops
separated by ten points on the edge which lead into ten optic lines on
the top.
The 6½ in. bread and butter plate and the 8 in. salad (luncheon) have a series of twelve scallops, twelve points and twelve optic lines. The l0½ in. dinner plate has fourteen scallops, fourteen points and fourteen optic lines. As you can see, this line varies much more than the #3400 and #3500 Lines.
The creamer and sugar in the #3900 Line show the simplistic lines and optic molding common to the Line. However, the plain handles on the sugar and creamer are unusual to this Line, whose serving pieces usually have the fancy filigree handle shown on the #3900 Line cup.
If you are collecting Rose Point, do not be concerned about maintaining only one Line of shapes in your collection. Sets in Rose Point collected when it was being made often contain all three of the major blank lines. We have even seen cups in the #3400 Line that were originally sold with the #3500 Line saucers and vice versa. You may want to stick to one line such as all #3400 cups, saucers and plates, but the serving pieces are just as lovely mixed as they were when they were originally sold that way.
The #3500 Line stemware was originally matched to the #3500 Line tableware. However, the #3500 Line stemware was still being made in Rose Point long after the #3500 Line plates, cups and saucers were discontinued.
Happy Rose Point Hunting!