Millersburg Glass Museum adds to People’s Vase collection
Millersburg Glass Museum curator Chris Sieverdes has invested a lot of money in the carnival glass in the museum, but none compare to the newest addition, the cobalt blue People’s Vase with the ruffled edge.
For many decades it has been believed there were either 10 or 12 People’s Vases from the canon of John Fenton’s Millersburg Glass collection he created for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in honor of her daughter Juliana.
Eight were known to still exist.
Make that nine.
Recently, the family grew by one after a new addition was discovered unexpectedly. It may be the finest piece of glass ever collected on any level, and it now resides in Millersburg, where it was created.
On Nov. 30 of last year, Chris Sieverdes, director of the Millersburg Glass Museum, set his sights on purchasing the new People’s Vase, an addition that, unlike most of the vases in the collection, is ruffled at the top.
The vase is cobalt blue, an extremely rare and highly sought-after color in the Millersburg Glass realm.
While Sieverdes said he was fine having the three People’s Vases in his collection at the museum, he couldn’t get this one out of his head, and once he got his finances in order and went to the auction in Dexter City, Ohio, it was going to go home with him.
“I knew I was going to be bidding against a number of people who were really interested in buying it,” Sieverdes said. “We all know who has these vases, but once I set my sights on it, I wasn’t going to let it slip away.”
The bidding was fierce, and Sieverdes said once the action started, his focus never wavered from the auctioneer. Who was bidding against him was inconsequential, and $250,000 plus a 10% premium and taxes later, his prized cobalt People’s Vase was joining the trio of People’s Vases in the Millersburg Museum collection. This one joins another cobalt vase (not ruffled), a ruffled amethyst and a regular marigold.
“This is the most vibrant, beautiful one of the set, and it was a total unknown until now,” Sieverdes said. “It’s in pristine condition. The features on it are immaculate, and the people show up better than any of the others in the collection.”
The People’s Vase made by the Millersburg Glass Co. also is known as the Holland Vase Collection. Each piece depicts dancers in the street after Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands gave birth to a daughter, Juliana.
The newly discovered carnival glass piece made its way to the auction block late last year in a Noble County auction house. It was discovered in an old home, having been there so long it was stuck to the mantle on which it was perched and had to be carefully extracted.
Little is known about its history or how it ended up in this woman’s house, but it now will have a new history alongside three of its siblings.
The iridescent cobalt vase drew the adoration of more than a few major collectors, and by the time the final bid had been made, it became the crème de la crème of the set.
The Millersburg Glass Co. was established in 1908 by John W. Fenton and Robert Fenton, the brothers who left the family-owned Fenton Art Glass Co. in Williamstown. Millersburg Glass closed in 1912 after declaring bankruptcy.
Sieverdes, who has purchased all of the priceless glass in the museum, said this was one piece that wasn’t going to escape his grasp.
With the introduction of the newest addition, the museum is set to reopen on weekends through March after hibernating this winter, and the allure of its newest member should pique the interest of many people. It will open in full starting April 1.
Sieverdes said there are many people who live in Holmes County and surrounding areas who have never visited the museum.
This rare, expensive piece should entice them to come to view it and the many other carnival glass pieces, and in addition, Sieverdes or other board members are there to tell stories of many of the pieces, as well as share the story of the rise and fall of John Fenton’s vision.
“I’ve already had a number of people calling about seeing it, and hopefully, this generates a whole new passion for the museum,” Holmes County Historical Society Executive Director Mark Boley said. “It’s such an exciting addition, and I know there are many people who haven’t ever set foot in the museum, so hopefully, this will create a whole new awareness.”
The Millersburg Glass Museum is located at 414 N. Washington St. in Millersburg. The hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and closed Monday. To learn more about the museum, visit www.holmeshistory.com/museum#1024421217.