Cristalerias Papini Argentina Ganador Blue Water Pitcher

This item caught my eye back in April of 2014 during my visit to Tom & Sandy Monoski's home in Pennsylvania. It was way up high on a shelf when I asked about it. Tom took it down and talked about it saying he bought it from a picker who brings him glass from South America, mainly Argentina, which is where this pitcher was found.

I took several detailed pictures of it, and said I would put it up on Showcase for him when I returned home. He'd never seen another and requested I name it "Band of Fruit" because it was similar to "Band of Roses" or "Rose Band" but with fruits instead. In comparing "Band of Roses", by Cristalerios Piccardo, and "Rose Band" by Brockwitz, I noticed there were no real similarities in the details. Maybe the concept is similar but not the details by a long shot. I was a little stumped and in my confusion, put its research on the back burner and forgot about it for a while.

Then, during the 2015 Tampa Bay convention, Tom & Sharon asked me if I wanted to buy this pitcher that had captured my attention at their home. He gave me a great price and it was mine. Now I really had to find out what it was so I started searching through the South American catalogue pages my friend, Bob Smith from Boston, Massachusetts, gave me. I found the same exact shape as this pitcher on a page featuring "Jarras", meaning "Pitchers". The product name was "GANADOR", which means "Winner". Well, I felt like a winner having found it. It said the pitcher held 4 1/2 liters.

I had some names now to do some further research. In the Carnival Glass Encyclopedia 12th edition by Bill Edwards, I located the same exact blue pitcher as mine but it was called "Bluebell Band & Ribs", as named by Bill Edwards himself. Well, I hate to break it to you Bill, but a close-up of your pitcher reveals fruits, not Bluebells, so your perception was a little bit off Bud. Sorry! The fruits consist of pears, cherries, plums (or apples) and possibly bananas. But the good news is, you also listed a pattern on page 127 called "Ganador" and a close-up of the marigold Ganador pitcher reveals a band of fruits, exactly the same as the Cristalerios Papini catalogue and the same as your "Bluebell Band & Ribs". There is also one more twist in your book. On page 126, there is a tall blue decanter in a pattern called "Fruit Band". This, too, is the same exact pattern as Ganador, as we can tell by the band of the exact line-up of fruits.

To recap, Ganador has been renamed "Bluebell Band & Ribs" and "Fruit Band". I have enclosed a catalog picture and all the photos from Bill's book. Thank you Bill for bringing us all the information you've given us. It is very hard to decipher glass just by looking at photos, especially fuzzy ones that people used to send you. You did a great job considering a long time ago, photo quality was very poor, especially after they were transferred and printed over and over again. Also, you did not often have the luxury of having the real things in your hands so you could write about the hundreds of patterns you've brought together for us. It's been very frustrating for me to see this pattern listed in so many other places as well, but without a good close-up of the details I was always left with reasonable doubt. I hope the this article helps people see this pattern in a new light.

This pitcher of mine was said to have belonged to a retired restaurant owner.  I have never in my life seen so much wear on the bottom and sides of a piece of Carnival Glass. I understand pitchers of this nature were considered utilitarian but this one was literally used to the brink of death. The iridescence looks silvery and then sometimes gold. One must hold it to feel its history ooze from it. It's a hefty piece, weighing 2.75 pounds. It stands 8" tall and 3 5/8" wide at the top. The base diameter is 4", and, in looking at its bottom, you'll see it has a 13-petaled daisy design.

I have never been aware of a piece of glass that was made in five stages, that is, in five parts either. I've attached a photo to show its construction, which to me seems to have been very labor intensive. Observe the picture and you'll see:

• It  was mould-blown from the bottom up to the top of the upper set of ribs.
• The handle, not iridized, was applied to this section.
• Then, the next section above it (where you see the thumbprints) was a 4-part moulded ring that was added on to the mould-blown section.
• Then, above that, the plain band, slightly iridized and made in a 2-part moulded ring, was added on.
• Then to top it off, a thin rim was applied, not iridized, with the pouring spout extending from it, all one piece, showing no mould lines at all.

The last photo shows the catalogue image. I placed the pitcher in the same position to see what the artist who sketched it saw. Although the artist did not capture the fruit in detail, the dips, lines, shadows and shapes match perfectly with the real deal. Also the beaded borders of the band of fruit are indicated.

Ganador was also produced in many other shapes including tumblers, a vases, and two very different style cordial or wine decanter sets. Photos of their catalogue images are also shown. I hope they will help our readers identify those items.

The maker, Cristalerias Papini, also known for their Cristalux Line, was founded in 1896. It was located in Buenos Aires Rosario, Argentina in South America.

I have finally written this long overdue article about this Ganador pitcher. It must have been destined to be mine to write about. Thank you to Tom & Sandy Monoski for bringing it to the convention for me to buy.

I have kept the name "Fruit Band" as well as the lesser known, but original name, of "Ganador", because many people who sell this pattern in Argentina have adopted it.  It is the most frequently used pattern name which I've seen used several times on eBay. I think it quickly identifies the pattern just right.

I hope you enjoyed learning about it as much as I have.

Another excellent source of information can be found here on Glen & Stephen Thistlewood's Carnival Glass Worldwide.

The Christina Katsikas Collection