Fenton #109 Grecian Gold Marigold Whimsey Spittoon or Cuspidor

Christina Katsikas purchased this tiny spittoon during the Tampa Bay auction in February of 2015. It was represented as a Fenton Stretch Whimsey Spittoon, having been made from an item in Fenton's Grecian Gold line. It measures 3 7/8" wide, 2 1/8" tall and has a 2 1/2" base.

As with all whimsies, she was curious to find out from what original shape this cuspidor was made from. At first, the closest Grecian Gold example she could find to compare it with was a Fenton Grecian Gold #647 Stretch Glass 10" bowl, as seen in picture #3. The iridescence was uncanny so she became very excited knowing she was getting close. She knew this wasn't the exact item because the 3.5" base diameter on this #647 bowl (picture #3) was an inch too wide.

Her online research immediately lead her to a wonderful website that was created by Dave & Renee Shetlar, called ShetlarGlass.com. Here they display fabulous iridescent American Stretch Glass examples owned by themselves and others. They are extremely active members of the Stretch Glass Society and are noted authors & researchers.  She thought Dave & Renee would be the perfect resource to ask about the origin of this spittoon.

She addressed a post to Dave Shetlar on Woodsland, the nightly Carnival Glass newsletter club of that time, and asked if he knew more about it. The following night his response came in, as she knew it would. Dave & Renee have always bent over backwards to help people identify and learn more about Stretch Glass.

Dave told her someone had called the Stretch Glass Society three weeks before her post and discussed the spittoon shape as being one of Fenton's rarities in Stretch glass. He believed this spittoon was made from the #109 bowl and went on to say, "Obviously, this shaping was difficult (pinching in and flaring out), so there is quite a bit of variation in the final shape. Fenton also made larger spittoon pieces in Stretch glass, usually out of their #647 bowl (see picture #6). The shape is not common and is definitely a cross-over collectible piece because there are spittoon collectors that are not necessarily glass, Carnival nor Stretch glass collectors! Your piece is the only one I've seen in the Grecian Gold treatment."

Here is the page of photos from the Stretch Glass Society's article on Rare & Unusual Stretch Glass where you will find a like spittoon in Celeste Blue and Persian Pearl, also pictured here in photos 4 & 5. Photo #6 is a beautiful example of a larger one, pattern #647, in Velva Rose.

She would like to thank the Stretch Glass Society and Dave & Renee Shetlar for sharing their wealth of information and inviting us into the world of Stretch Glass, another exciting realm in Carnival Glass.