Fenton Butterfly & Berry Amethyst Berry Bowl Whimsey Spittoon or Cuspidor
Description
Tom Mordini wrote to tell me he had just acquired an absolutely amazing Butterfly & Berry whimsey "cuspidor" or "spittoon" made from the berry bowl. It was once advertised by Jim Wroda in 2011 as, "It was pinched so far that the feet are raised and it rests on the collar base. Just a Beautiful piece of glass".
The definition of a spittoon and cuspidor is exactly the same only cuspidor sounds better, especially if it belonged to a lady. I'm going to let Tom Mordini help me write this article. I think he says it well. Take it away Tom!
"Dear Christina,
Carnival glass cuspidors/spittoons have always been very popular and very expensive. They are regarded as the "ultimate" whimsey by some collectors....others are repulsed by them. Some of the largest Carnival cuspidor collections in the USA belong to (or have belonged to) Judy Maxwell, Don Hamlet, Karen Engle, Floyd Whitley, and Bill Reyen. I know of about twenty different examples but I know there are more.
This spittoon or cuspidor is amethyst and, as you can see, the little ball feet extend sideways instead of on the table. It sits on its collar base almost like it trying to keep its feet dry from all of the tobacco chew that some woman from the Kentucky hills is trying to spit into it.. or maybe it is a lady from high society in New York (or even New Hampshire) heaven forbid! In any event it is a survivor of over 100 years ago. We should all look this good after we hit 100.
The color and iridescence is absolutely amazing, intense and very even all the way around. Whoever made this really went out of his way to achieve perfection. It is interesting to note that whenever the Fenton or Millersburg workers made these little whimsies they also made sure that the surface color and iridescence was top notch. I guess that is what makes most whimsies special (and expensive).
Grace Rinehart purchased the cuspidor in 1968 at a little antique shop in West Virginia. She owned it for over 40 years before she sold it at the Wroda auction in November of 2011 and the buyer was Carroll Cook of Texas. Carroll sold it to me and now you own it. We are all just temporary caretakers of this great glass. We actually do not own it. We just take good care of it for future owners (generations). We are like little private museums. This glass will be around long after all of us are gone and forgotten. No one will know the history of this piece shortly after you part with it because very few people care to track the provenance of our glass. You and a few others are the exception. It is good that you are as dedicated as you are. Maybe you can stress the importance to others after you part with some of your glass.
There are still thousands of pieces that are still in the possession of the original owners families from over 100 years ago. We will not get to know what these pieces are unless one trickles out now and then and we are told a story about it. We often hear that something was given to Grandma from Grandpa on their wedding day 50, 60, 70 or more years ago. Unfortunately the decedents of Grandma and Grandpa don't feel a connection to the piece. Many of the younger generation did not even know their great or great great grandparents except for a photo in a family album. Not only do they want to part with the glass but they even part with the family photo album. There is no attempt to research what they have that once belonged to a long deceased relative. We see this stuff at garage sales, estate sales and even pawn shops left there by a relative that just felt no attachment. This all may sound a little dreary and it is....so it is good that you are willing to keep track of whatever history or provenance that may exist for the items that you now own. Keep up the good work and good writing. I always enjoy your stories. Best wishes. Tom"
Well, that's the story about the little Fenton cuspidor. Tom and Sharon Mordini live in Freeport, Illinois. For over twenty-eight years, their publication of Carnival Glass Auction Prices have been the source for reliable information for thousands of collectors. This yearly guide was an accumulation of prices from all the major auctions. Thank you Tom & Sharon for all the valuable information you have preserved and given us through the years. We didn't always have the internet handy at our fingertips as we do today. It was comforting to have your guide in our back pockets for instant knowledge and reassurance for our purchases in the field. It was a true labor of love and compassion for our hobby and businesses.
The last picture shown is where it won a First Place ribbon during the 1975 American Carnival Glass Association exhibit. How wonderful it is to trace the history of this beloved treasure! It's so small, so precious, it fits in the palm of your hand like an apple. It's 3.75" wide, 2.5" tall and has a base diameter of 2".
Once I held it I could not let it go. It reminds me of a saloon girl with a frilly skirt dancing up a storm that quite perhaps fell back on her laurels. Ooops! No worries! She is perfectly fine to dance another day.
I thank Tom for thinking of me when he decided it needed a new home, here on the Showcase, and for the history lesson that came with it. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing Tom.
The Christina Katsikas Collection
