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Founded in 1903 by English glassmaker Thomas G Hawkes and Fredrick Carder (owner of one of the area’s largest cut glass factories at the time), Steuben Glass Works produced iridescent and colored art glass (1903-1933) and fine crystal (1934-2011) in its Corning NY factory for over a century. A popular gift, especially for weddings, Steuben glassware was known both for its quality and its elegant packaging.
In the early years, known as the Carder era, Steuben produced beautiful art glass in colors like gold Aurene and “verre de soie” – an iridized clear glass resembling silk. Items included bottles, tableware, vases, glass lamp shades and other decor in a wide variety of different shapes and styles typical of the era.
Verre de soie perfume bottle with uv-reactive jade glass stopper shown below.
After 1933, Steuben’s focus turned to fine crystal. It was then that several figurines were introduced. Clear crystal cat figurines made by Steuben include:
- a sleeping kitten
- a green eyed cat
- a stretching cat
- a loving cat
- the tall, abstract “Slinky Cat”
- several crystal cat shaped crystal “hand coolers.” Handcoolers were small rounded crystal figures produced in the 1990’s which you could hold to help keep your hands cool.
Recent sale prices on eBay average $75-$100 for most hand coolers, around $100-$150 for the green eyed cat. Asking prices for other Steuben Glass cat figurines range from the low hundreds to around $1000.
In 2011 Steuben’s Corning factory and New York store both closed. In 2014 the Corning museum of Glass announced that they would be reproducing some Steuben wares, which will be sold through the Museum Store.
Find Steuben Glass cats on eBay!