Hen on Nest covered dishes have been around since at least the 1800s, and their unique charm has turned them into popular collectibles. Shirley Smith, an author and expert in the field with a wonderful hen-on-nest collection of her own, says that there are 50 companies that are known to have made hen on nest dishes, and possibly another 40 companies as well. She’s identified 191 different sizes or forms and she believes there are even more out there. You can see some wonderful pictures of Shirley’s collection on the National Milk Glass Collectors Society website.
You can find glass hen-on-nest dishes in just about every color imaginable, in many different finishes, and in sizes ranging from less than 2 inches to over 8 inches in length. Depending on the size, these sets are called by a variety of terms, from trinket boxes and candy dishes to covered dishes and ring boxes. There are other animal covered dishes as well, including rabbits, cats, swans and dogs, but the greatest number is in the hen design.
In her article, Shirley talks about the importance (and fun) of identifying the pieces of your collection according to age, manufacturer and style. One cautionary note that she emphasizes about buying sets like this is to check the set carefully for a “marriage” – that is, a top and bottom that were not originally meant to be together, but which somehow ended up together as one unit.
Knowing manufacturers’ marks, when one is present, is another important piece of information. Certain manufacturers made their hen-on-nest sets in specific types of glass during particular years; anything else may indicate a reproduction. Also every individual part of the hen and nest tells a story, from the shape of the eye to the weave of the basket; Shirley has a wonderful illustration of this in the article.
Once you’ve observed the details of the piece carefully, you can use some of the many research books to determine the make and age of your set. Knowing the marks of hen-on-nest manufacturers will, of course, help a great deal if your piece has a mark (paper labels aren’t as reliable as impressed or embossed marks, as they can sometimes be switched from other pieces). Although you’ll probably find the most information in a guide/value book like Shirley’s, a wonderful online resource to get you started is Hen On The Nest, which lists information about 18 hen-on-nest manufacturers’ marks including Westmoreland, Fenton, Indiana Glass, Imperial Glass, Boyd, Mosser and more. The site also has a lot of other information (and plenty of pictures too) about these collectibles, as well as a link to a Yahoo group called Frank’s Hen Discussion Group. There’s nothing better than sharing your collecting passion with other like-minded people!
You can find glass hen-on-nest dishes in just about every color imaginable, in many different finishes, and in sizes ranging from less than 2 inches to over 8 inches in length. Depending on the size, these sets are called by a variety of terms, from trinket boxes and candy dishes to covered dishes and ring boxes. There are other animal covered dishes as well, including rabbits, cats, swans and dogs, but the greatest number is in the hen design.
In her article, Shirley talks about the importance (and fun) of identifying the pieces of your collection according to age, manufacturer and style. One cautionary note that she emphasizes about buying sets like this is to check the set carefully for a “marriage” – that is, a top and bottom that were not originally meant to be together, but which somehow ended up together as one unit.
Knowing manufacturers’ marks, when one is present, is another important piece of information. Certain manufacturers made their hen-on-nest sets in specific types of glass during particular years; anything else may indicate a reproduction. Also every individual part of the hen and nest tells a story, from the shape of the eye to the weave of the basket; Shirley has a wonderful illustration of this in the article.
Once you’ve observed the details of the piece carefully, you can use some of the many research books to determine the make and age of your set. Knowing the marks of hen-on-nest manufacturers will, of course, help a great deal if your piece has a mark (paper labels aren’t as reliable as impressed or embossed marks, as they can sometimes be switched from other pieces). Although you’ll probably find the most information in a guide/value book like Shirley’s, a wonderful online resource to get you started is Hen On The Nest, which lists information about 18 hen-on-nest manufacturers’ marks including Westmoreland, Fenton, Indiana Glass, Imperial Glass, Boyd, Mosser and more. The site also has a lot of other information (and plenty of pictures too) about these collectibles, as well as a link to a Yahoo group called Frank’s Hen Discussion Group. There’s nothing better than sharing your collecting passion with other like-minded people!
Great information! I loved it.
ReplyDelete