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Slag glass, also known as marble glass or malachite, is a type of opaque, streaked pressed glass. Production of slag glass originated in late-19th-century England, where glass manufacturers are thought to have added slag from iron-smelting works to molten glass to create a range of effects—from tortoiseshell to marbling. Among other uses, slag glass was a popular material for lampshades.

One of the first glass foundries to produce slag glass (although it was not called that at...

Since the process of making slag glass was shrouded in a certain amount of mystery, stories sprang up to try and account for the process behind the effects. For example, it was a good bet that Sowerby’s Blue Nugget color of 1883 was the result of adding cadmium to molten glass, but how to explain Gold Nugget? Stories soon spread that John George Sowerby, son of the company’s founder, was tossing gold sovereigns into batches of amber glass to create this dramatic hue.

In the United States, manufacturers such as Westmoreland and Akro Agate picked up on the techniques developed in England and produced their own versions of slag glass. As in England, one of the most popular applications for their pressed opaque glass was in lampshades. Wide bands of creamy colors allowed the light source in a lamp to fill a room with a soft ivory glow, while the purples and greens and reds pieced together in detailed leaded shades resulted in multi-colored illumination.

Just about anyone who was making lamps during the Art Nouveau period, from Tiffany to Roycroft to Steuben, might have used slag glass in their shades. But whether they did or not in a particular lamp is another matter. The problem is that today, "slag glass" is used rather casually by dealers and collectors alike to refer to almost any type of pressed opaque glass containing colored swirls or streaks. The key to determining if a piece of glass is "true" slag or just a handsome example of pressed glass is to look for glass that is obviously and richly marbled rather than simply colored or streaked.

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Antiques and the Arts Online, May 19th

old Planter's peanuts jars; bitters & other old bottles; stoneware pottery w/blue; old iron and brass doorstops; old baskets; large variety of kerosene lamps; slag glass table lamp; hanging crystal chandelier; old postcard album; other postcards;...Read more

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Ocala, May 12th

Q: I have had this lamp for some time and wonder if you could tell me something about it. My husband and I bought it in a garage sale in New York. A: Carmel slag glass lamps were made in America during the first three decades of the 20th century...Read more

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Gizmodo UK, May 11th

The Earl S. Tupper Company started by moulding industrial-grade plastics into things like gas masks and Navy Signal lamps. Good business during the war, but it wasn't going to make him his millions after the bullets stopped flying...Read more

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slag glass lamp with great embossed base, finger lamps, set of 4 walnut Victorian chairs with youth chair, walnut extension table, large Victorian 1/4 sawn oak store table, Cherry rope bed, contemporary bamboo kitchen set, Canastota cut glass dish,...Read more

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The Earl S. Tupper Company started by moulding industrial-grade plastics into things like gas masks and Navy Signal lamps. Good business during the war, but it wasn't going to make him his millions after the bullets stopped flying...Read more