Fenton Vintage Green Bonbon With Newly Discovered Fenton Paper Label

“How many times have you looked at a piece of glass knowing that you should buy it, maybe not because it has super iridescence, a rare shape for the pattern, or another reason, and then simply pass it up? But, not pass it up the first time it comes up on eBay, but two or three times, only to finally decide it would be best if you did buy it the next time it comes up?

Well, that’s exactly what I did with this Fenton Vintage bonbon in green. When I first came across it I researched the main factor for buying it and my first instinct was that I should snatch it up right away. 

In this case, buying this piece was not determined by its iridescence. Plain and simple, I considered it to be average for this pattern. It’s the fact that once I did the research on the “Paper Label” I knew I must buy it. Yes, it had not one but two white paper labels with red print pasted over one another, with 100% of the bottom one stuck firmly on the collar base.

If you looked at the Fenton Site “Label” Section here you'll see the earliest label is from 1921, and that the Whitmyer and Heacock books both put the Vintage pattern at ca. 1910. Dr. Jim Measell, who is Fenton’s historian, did also state the same in an email to me.

Also, I take into consideration that Webmaster Christina had poked me enough with a stick that I finally caved in and purchased it. In the meantime, I studied the eBay photos wondering if I could sucessfully remove the partial one stuck over the top of the good one. I felt certain I could without damaging it.

When it arrived, I instantly made up my mind that I could and would try to remove the partial label, which you can see in the Before & After photos of the label. I used a #24 surgical scalpel and went to work for about 45 minutes.  What you see in the “after” photo is the end result, and I must say that I’m very pleased with it. 

If you click on the Fenton “label” link above you won’t see this label, but you will see the earliest label that Fenton Art Glass has as their first label being from 1921.  Now, we know that the Vintage pattern is ca. 1910, so this label has to be from that period or possibly even earlier, and it may even be the first Fenton paper label used by the Fenton Art Glass Co., period. 

I may never know exactly what year this label was first used, but I do know with reasonable certainty that it was used on this piece around 1910.

I have a good hunch that this may well be Fenton’s first label.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it for now. 

Either way, I’m really glad that with someone tapping on my skull to see if anyone was home by Miss Christina, I finally bought this piece and safely removed the torn partial label and preserved the entire label that was first applied.

I paid way more than the going price for a green Vintage Bonbon, but to me, the label is a new find in the history of Fenton Art Glass, and a noteworthy item in the history of Carnival Glass.” 

*It goes well with the 100% mint Northwood paper label on my “Super” Purple “Diamond Point” vase from the 2017 Tampa Bay auction shown in my collection here on Showcase.

The Mike Carwile Collection