The Muehlbauer Collection: Big Dugan

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Big Dugan
It wasn’t by design. It just happened that way. I ended up with more than my share of beautiful, big pieces of carnival glass made by Dugan. Well, you are going to get the chance to help me out with this dilemma. Actually, it’s not a Dilemma at all. I love them all!

Let’s start with a couple that you may have already seen in previous articles in this series which highlights some of the special pieces that will be sold without reserves at the auction in conjunction with the Heart of America Carnival Glass Club’s annual convention, "The 100th Anniversary Celebration of Carnival Glass." This convention will run from April 25th through April 28th, 2007 at the Embassy Suites near the Kansas City International Airport. The auction will be held on Saturday morning, April 28th. It promises to be a landmark event.

We’ll start with the drop-dead gorgeous, "3n1" edged Farmyard bowl. This ‘Tiffany Iridization’ rare bowl came back in my suitcase from New Zealand some number of years ago on a trip to visit my son who was working for a 'Kiwi kompany.' Pretty bowl, eh mate?

You also may have seen the amethyst, electric-blue iridized Garden Path Variant chop plate which came my way via a prominent collector from New Mexico. Different sources to be sure, but the same fabulous coloring.

Those of you who have visited some of the other articles in the www.woodsland.com/johnm website, may have seen one of the 'showiest' pieces destined for the auction -- the purple Heavy Iris tankard. I'm not embarrassed to repeat a picture of it here as to my way of thinking, it's one of the most spectacularly colored pieces in the entire sale. Simply dripping with color. And here, we can show you it's sibling, a white Heavy Iris tankard. It too is loaded with iridescence. I displayed both tankards with a single tumbler, and they will be yours for the buying as well. These pieces truly represent Dugan's glass-making artistry at it's finest.

I’ve long been a fan of the Dugan ‘sister patterns’ of Ski Star and Petal & Fan. Can’t tell you why -- maybe it’s the simple symmetry of the design. Whatever, I ended up with 7 large bowls and a hand-grip plate in these two patterns.

Let’s start with the two Ski Stars first. They are both on a purple base glass, but that’s where the similarity ends. The 8-ruffled bowl has an over-all purple and green ‘feeling’ to it. I wish there was a name for this coloration, but so far there is not. You buy it and name it! This is one of several pieces that came from one of Mickey Reichel’s "New Year’s Extravaganzas." The other large Ski Star can only be described as having "Tiffany Iridescence." It’s a knockout and came from the same source as the Garden Path Variant ‘chopper,’ Fr. Gabriel Talley of New Mexico. Thanks, Burney!

But of the two Dugan sibling patterns, my favorite has to be Petal & Fan. Our collection contains six of these elegant ladies, but one will remain here at our home because it was a gift from my long-time, best CG friend, Helen Bell. Believe me, all were selected for color. Having read my Article No.1 of this series, you know that "color" is synonymous with "iridescence" in my CG vocabulary.

There are two peach opal Petal & Fans, one 6-ruffled, the other 8. There is also a most unusually shaped ‘round’ bowl in marigold. Not that it’s any big deal, but marigold P&Fs are probably 50 times more scarce than peach opal ones. That, coupled with the unusual shape that may best be described as a large ‘salad bowl shape’ (SBS?) and you have a one-of-a-kind (maybe) piece that also deserves a place in Article No. 3, "Rare and Unusual." And the frosting on this cake? It’s beautiful! It has a pastel marigold iridescence, but not ‘my usual’ yellow type. This one has soft pinks, blues and golds.

The two remaining Petal & Fans coming to the auction block are a gorgeous, and scarce (rare?) 8-ruffled, white example, and a killer 6-ruffled purple one with multi-colored iridescence. Petal & Fans for everyone!

We will be selling three Persian Medallion 2-piece fruit bowl sets; one pastel marigold (killer top!), one peach opal, and a white set. All are gorgeous. The bases of the marigold and PO sets have had their flanges polished to enable them to fit into the recesses of the fruit bowls without wobbling.

Maybe slightly smaller than 'big,' are three other Dugan jewels up for grabs; a peach opal Ski Star hand-grip plate, a purple Flowers & Frames bowl with double-electric blue iridescence, and a very 'pinkish' Apple Blossom Twigs plate. How come I add them to an article entitled "Big Dugan"? Because they're just too darn pretty not to, that's why!

The last piece is a killer Victorian or "Wedding Rings" (I like that name better!) bowl in purple. It has the best-ever iridescence and came from one of the Air Capital auctions a few years back. Wait until you see this one! Anybody in Texas like this?

This is the last of the six articles showcasing some of the special glass being sold at the 2007 HOACGA convention. I hope they have been fun to read and have whetted your appetite to attend the Wroda Auction Company’s extravaganza on April 28, 2007. As for my article-writing hunger, you haven’t heard the last of me yet! See your monthly newsletters for more adventures with john and Jan!

See you in Kansas City!

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