Rosenthal Crystal

Q: My mother had this etched crystal vase for many years but couldn't find who the maker was. It's marked with a crown over a fancy letter "R." Can you tell me who made it and how old it is?

A: Your vase is probably a goblet made by Rosenthal, a company founded by Philipp Rosenthal in Germany about 1880. Rosenthal is best known for its porcelain and didn't begin to make glass until 1957. This cut and engraved pattern is called Romanze (Romance). It was designed by Bjorn Wiinblad (1918 – 2006) and made in the 1960s to go with a dinnerware pattern he also designed for Rosenthal.

 

Greener Glass Mark

Q: I have a glass celery vase that has this mark on the bottom. It's a lion with a five-pointed star in his paw. Can you tell me who made it and how old it is?

A: Henry Greener and James Angus worked together in Sunderland, England, as Angus & Greener starting in 1858. After Angus died in 1869, the company became Henry Greener & Co. Greener registered the lion-and-star mark on your celery vase in 1876 and his company used the mark until 1884. James Jobling bought the company in 1885 and changed its trademark to a similar-looking lion holding a halberd (a weapon that combines a spear and a battle-ax). After several changes in ownership and names, the company was sold to Newell Co. in 1994.