Duncan & Miller Scalloped Six Point Marigold Miniature Spittoon Whimsey From Toothpick Holder

Jim Wroda was having a huge two day auction of carnival glass on November 13th and 14th, 2015. This was their customer appreciation event, something you have to attend to believe, so we made our hotel reservations, planning on going. As it got nearer to our departing time, health issues came up and we had to cancel. Jim does live phone bidding, so, that was the logical thing to do.

The item that I was most interested in was a miniature marigold spittoon. This tiny spittoon was the apple of everyone’s eye at this auction which featured the collection of Bette and Jim Chapman. My wife Sherry had talked to Jim and he, even though no maker or pattern was known, assured her that it was old. Just how did he decide that, not knowing the maker or pattern? Was it his experience or was it an auctioneer’s hunch or what? Well, whatever it was, he was absolutely correct. It is old. The bidding was furious and vicious at times but when it was all over, this spittoon was heading our way and into our collection.

This little jewel is whimsied from a toothpick holder in the pattern known as "Scalloped Six Point" made by Duncan & Miller Glass Company from Washington, Pennsylvania. Thanks to Barb Chamberlain for investigating it for me and coming up with the maker and pattern name. This spittoon is, in the true sense of the word, miniature when it's compared to even the smallest spittoons you've ever seen or read about. It's two inches high, with a two-inch square top, and has a one-inch base.

There is a Duncan & Miller museum in Washington, PA. Here I found a photo from the museum files, shown in the 9th photo, of a crystal toothpick holder that shows the original shape my spittoon was made from. Also, the 8th photo shows this spittoon next to our Imperial "Flute" toothpick holder to show how tiny it is.

In early February of 2016, I called the museum and spoke with a woman named Sherry, (yes, another Sherry) and she told me the museum was closed for the winter and would not be open until April. Right then she was very busy doing inventory and it sounded like she didn’t have the time to talk with me. I told her that I might have something that she would be very interested in. She reluctantly gave me her email address and I sent her photos of the spittoon.

WOW! Did her tune change! It was like, "OMG, WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET THIS!!?? In all the years that I have worked here, I have never seen anything like it."  I told her how I came upon it and asked if she could give me any information about its making. She gave me some...

She told me this particular pattern, "Scalloped Six Point", was made from 1897 to 1905 and it was done in many shapes, but, never a spittoon. She told me she would talk to other people involved at the museum and would let me know what she found out. I asked if Duncan & Miller had the equipment for iridescence on their pieces and she immediately stated that they never iridized any glass and they did not have the proper equipment to do so. Wow, this is turning out to be a real mystery. They never made a spittoon and they never iridized any glass at all. Questions with no answers and lots of speculation. I will just have to wait and see what Sherry can find out about this mystery piece.

Ten days later Sherry had not gotten back to me yet when I received a totally unexpected package from Jim Wroda, the auctioneer. I was very taken by surprise because he sent me a "Scalloped Six Point" crystal spittoon! It's the very spittoon that Sherry said they never made. Alright, another mystery!

The 6th & 7th photos are of this crystal spittoon from Jim sitting alongside the marigold one. I needed to find out just how he came about having this one in crystal. I called him and he said that they were doing an inventory of glass for an upcoming auction and this spittoon was one of the items. Now remember, just a couple weeks ago, I bought the marigold spittoon from Jim, and now he has a crystal one in the exact same pattern, WOW....WHAT ARE THE ODDS? I think that it’s just fantastic that he sent it to me and now the mystery deepens.

Well, it’s the middle of February, 2016 now and  Sherry from the museum still has not gotten back to me. Her information, if she has any, will have to wait. Who knows—maybe another whole article.

UPDATE: One year later after this article first appeared here, I am writing again at the end of February 2017, I received a letter from Tom Felt at the Museum of American Glass in WV.

He writes, "I checked our library this afternoon and found your toothpick holder verified as Scalloped Six Point in the book, Glass Toothpick Holders, 2nd ed., by Neila & Tom Bredehoft & Jo & Bob Sanford (Collector Books, 2005). They show a picture that matches yours, calling it a "vase shape," but in the text describe it further: "The toothpick also comes in a shape that looks like a tiny spittoon or vase." So I feel confident that your toothpick is definitely Duncan & Miller No. 30 Scalloped Six Point."

~~Tom at the Museum of American Glass in WV

Speaking of articles, thanks to Barb Chamberlain, editor of ICGA's "The Carnival Pump", this spittoon appears on the cover and in an article on page 8 of the March 2016 issue. Join this great club to receive your subscription for more great stories and articles like this.

The Dick & Sherry Betker Collection