Moon and Stars Glassware

Moon and Stars Glassware design is very popular in collecting because the glass was heavy and withstood the test of time relatively well. Moon and Stars is also called the Palace design and it originally appeared in the mid 1870s. Some say it was Abraham Lincoln's favorite type of glassware.

The name of the design came from the round depression with a star design that appeared in all pieces. At this juncture everything was created in clear glass including sugar bowls, butter dishes, goblets, and condiment containers. Some of the glass included a twisted handle design, which is something collectors watch for. It's a distinguishing factor for older Moon and Stars glassware pieces. Unfortunately the glass was so heavy that it made distribution difficult, so it faded from public view, at least for a while.

Flash forward to 1935. A gentleman by the name of L.G. Wright realized that people had started becoming interested in Moon and Star Glassware again. By 1938 he had commissioned reproductions of some of the classic Moon and Star pieces including bowls and goblets. Note that Wright never produced any of these pieces personally – rather everything was “farmed” out to companies like Imperial and Fenton.

Wright took these pieces into various gifts and department stores, having introduced a blue opalescent color along with the traditional crystal. These reproductions continued to be made until the company closed its doors in 1999. That's not the end of the Moon and Stars story, however.

Moon and Stars Glassware – Manufacturers Timeline
1880s – Adams & Co
1890s – U.S. Glass
1930-1960 – L.G. Wright and Fenton Glass Company
1960s – Imperial Glass (for L.E. Smith)
1940-2004 – L.E. Smith Glass Company
Current – Weishar / Island Mold

Another firm, L.E. Smith Glass Company, also picked up the Moon and Star pattern for pressed glass pieces in the late 1940s. They also added several colors to the line and purchased some Island Mould Moon and Star molds on a royalty basis. This company's work was so exact that there was only 1/16 o fan inch difference in the thickness of the pieces compared to L.G. Wright's. L.E. Smith's production ended in 2004, having been purchased by Port August Glass who does not produce the Moon and Star Glassware.

Joseph Weisher from Island Mould has his own take on Moon and Star motifs, adding water sets in various hues in 1988. He also cleverly produced a limited collectible line in 1993. All of these pieces have Weishar's signature so as to distinguish them from other producers of the pattern and also help with dating. Island Mold Company (located in Wheeling West Virginia) is the only company currently making the moon and Star Pattern.

This pattern is also called Moon and Star (singular) - they are used interchangbly and both are considered to be correct.

Here are the current listings on eBay:

Leave Moon and Stars Glassware, Go to 40s50s60s Glass
SuzieMax.com Depression Glass Home