Millersburg Ohio Star Aqua Opal Slag Whimsey Swung Vase 1 of 2 Known

I purchased this unique Millersburg item in 2013 from Ray Miller, of Millersburg, Ohio, who had previously purchased it from Stacy Wills.

There is only one other example that we know of in this color and that one was sold along with this one during the first session of the July 10th, 1998 Burns auction in Strongsville, Ohio. This auction featured the Close and Steiner Collections.

According to the full page announcement of this auction placed in the Lincoln-Land newsletter (Volume XXIII No. 3) the pair of vases had been in the collection of the Close family of Baltic, Ohio since the early 1970's. They were purchased in the Millersburg area in a yard sale and had been in safe keeping for almost thirty years. (See that advertisement 3rd photo from the end.)

There was plenty of speculation as to how much they would sell for and the auctioneers Tom Burns, Bill Richards and Billy Richards thought them to be in the same category as the Millersburg People's Vase. After all, these vases are the only carnival glass items ever made by Millersburg that have opalescence of any kind.

The second to last photo is the original auction catalog. Here you see this vase to the right of the other one sold that day. You will notice it is the taller of the two.

The original description given by the auctioneer, Tom Burns, in the catalog was "10 1/2" TALL OHIO STAR WHIMSEY SWUNG VASE-AQUA OPAL. SLAG (LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ITS PERFECT BROTHER; IS SWUNG 3/4" TALLER; HAS MANUF. FRACTURE OT BASE AND 1/4 -1/2" CHIP ON TOP EDGE BUT STILL NOT BAD FOR SECOND BEST; THESE ARE A WONDERFUL PAIR." The next to last photo is the description of both vases from the catalog. As you can hear in Tom's Burn's description, he would have liked to see them remain a pair but alas they were separated and purchased by two different bidders.

While holding this vase, one can feel its history ooze from it. Ray told me it was always the piece people were drawn to the most when they visited his home. The curiosity it invokes is magical! It leads me to believe it was the prototype of the two made of its kind because of the defects which occurred during its formulation. The glass itself is not translucent and has a slag quality, as seen in the picture of its bottom. In looking down into it, there is no light coming through whatsoever. The aqua blue color can be seen on the edges of the base all the way around when held to the light.

It stands between 10.50" to 10.75" tall, which is a full inch taller than my emerald green example at 9.75". You can see them both together here for comparison. The other vase like it that was sold at this auction was only 9.75" tall as well so this is the taller, swung version of the pair known, which is why Tom Burns called this one a whimsey.

There are other subtle differences you'll notice if you look closely. The most obvious difference, once it's been pointed out, is that the rim is smooth, missing the saw-tooth pattern normally seen on these. Maybe this is why this vase weighs 2.89 lbs and the emerald green one weighs 2.67 lbs. 

Also, you'll notice one of the stars has been obliterated. Then we have some dark ash in places and a spot of iridescence missing on the rim where it feels granular, and not like a chip at all like the auction flyer suggested. Let's just say it went through a "rough patch" at the factory. The bottom has a deep but smooth integrated crack that Tom Burns called a manufacture fracture. It isn't the type of crack due to damage in handling. The opal treatment involves the top of the whole vase and extends half way down.

They may have gotten the "second one known" right but it was probably too much work to keep producing these. Most of us like our glass to be perfect but this vase is more a historical treasure map. It appears to have been reconfigured several times by a maker stretching his imagination in an attempt to create something different. Like Ray Miller says, this opal vase and the other one like it are the only known opal pieces in all of Millersburg.

So, it was owned by Close and not Steiner at that auction. Let's go back a little further now to get even close-r to its original owner as recalled by Mr. Bill Edwards and specially written by Mike Carwile. Here it is:

"Bill (Edwards) gave me some good information on the Ohio Star vase. It was owned and found in Ohio by Dorothy Close. Her name is listed in our Millersburg Crystal book where we show a blue, non-iridized Hobstar & Feather pickle dish owned by her. She bought both known vases around 1967 when no one had heard of them. Then, in 1968, she and her husband brought the Blue Hobstar & Feather non-iridized pickle dish down to Indiana to Bill's house to show him and they talked about the vases; One vase was taller than the other by about half an inch or so, as Bill can remember. One, as you may also know, is cracked. Both vases and the pickle dish were kept safely in a bank vault."

So there you have it. I give a big "Thank You" to Mr. Edwards and Mr. Carwile who say the other perfect aqua opal Ohio Star vase is owned by a private collector and can be seen in one of their many excellent books they've written together, called "Carnival Glass ~The Best of the Best", shown in the 3rd to the last photo. It can also be seen right here on Showcase in the Don & Becky Hamlet collection.

The Christina Katsikas Collection