Early Moon and Star

By John and Alice Ahlfeld

We began collecting Early Moon and Star with a few very reasonably priced pieces, including a creamer which we couldn't pass up at $2, despite the large chip on the base! We then decided to find one of as many forms as possible. Considering the rarity which the literature ascribes to the pattern, we now have what is probably considered an extensive representative collection. The pattern glass literature uses several pattern names in addition to Early Moon and Star: Star and Thumbprint, Old Moon and Star, Star and Punty, and Star and Concave. Early Moon and Star is the name we see most often. The literature dates the pattern from the 1840's to 1870 and mentions production or shards at the New England Glass Company, the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, and the Cape Cod Glass Company.

All pieces have rows of alternating six-pointed stars and circles, with one exception: The salt dip shown has a row of circles above and a row of stars below; it was sold as Early Moon and Star, but is it? All pieces have the pattern pressed into the outside, except the sugar cover has the pattern on the inside. All pieces listed are clear, colorless glass, but the literature mentions canary and blue. We have a composite lamp with an amethyst font, which we have been told is a ca. 1950 reproduction; does anyone have documentation on this?
Does anyone have pieces in addition to those listed? We would welcome additional, documented information on Early Moon and Star. If you have anything to add, please write to John and Alice Ahlfeld, 2634 Royal Road, Lancaster, PA 17603, and we'll include your information in a future article.

Addendum: Jim Pollard wrote in response to the article about the pattern Early Moon and Star and enclosed (a) picture of a tumbler in that pattern. He describes the piece as being almost 3 5/8" in height, with a 14-rayed ground base and a high sharp resonance. He has researched the pattern in both Kamm and Metz, and was wondering why Kamm described the glass of this pattern as being "dingy, darkened by inferior ingredients." (Book 8, p. 72) All the pieces described in the News Journal article are brilliant, heavy flint, as Metz describes it. Has anyone seen it otherwise?

Our collection includes the pieces listed below
("h" indicates high):

Bottle- 6 1/4"h
Creamer - 57/8" to highest point (top of applied handle)
Jar - stoppered - base 4 3/4" h; 5 7/8" h with stopper
Lamp-
composite ­ 4 1/2" font diameter
finger ­ 2 5/8" h to bottom of metal collar
finger ­ 3 1/4" h to bottom of metal collar
finger ­ 3 7/8" h to bottom of metal collar
stand- 8 3/4"h
Salt- individual, footed- 1 7/8"h
Spillholder -
4 1/2"h
5 1/8" h
Spooner (or footed tumbler?) ­ 4 1/2" h
Sugar-covered - base 3 3/4" h, 6 7/8" h with cover
Tumbler-
3 1/2"h
3 5/8" h reported by Jim Pollard