Rare Northwood Holiday Pattern Marigold Carnival Glass Tray 1912 11 Inch

This is a rare Northwood carnival glass tray in the Holiday pattern, dating to around 1912. This round tray is made in marigold glass, with the iridescence most prominent on the underside.

The Holiday pattern is an attractive geometric design consisting of a large radiating starburst in the centre, encircled by small eight-pointed stars. This is surrounded by a repeating angular design formed from multiple parallel lines, with a further border of larger stars around the outside. The broad raised rim has a simple moulded profile.

The tray is a marigold colour, while the underside reveals considerably stronger iridescence when viewed at different angles, with flashes of pink, gold, green and blue.

The Holiday tray is a scarce Northwood form and has only been offered for sale a few times that I can ascertain. Particularly interesting is the period documentation for the piece. One of the photographs shows a 1912 advertisement in which this same Holiday tray appears behind a Northwood Grape pattern whiskey set. The advertisement describes it as an 11-inch heavy crystal tray, corresponding exactly with the size of this example. The advertisement is shown for historical reference only and is not included with the tray.

The centre of the tray is marked with Northwood's distinctive underlined N trademark.

The tray is in very good condition, particularly considering its age and scarcity. There are some scratches to the centre, typical of a tray that saw some use, but these are not particularly noticeable under normal viewing. There is also a small impact chip to the interior edge of the rim, shown in the close-up photograph. This is fairly minor and does not detract significantly from the appearance of the piece. There are also the occasional small bubbles and other characteristics from manufacture that are typical of early pressed glass.

Given the scarcity of this particular Northwood form, these relatively minor condition issues should be considered in the context of a tray that has survived for more than a century.

Maker: Northwood Glass Company

Pattern: Holiday

Colour: Marigold

Origin: United States

Age: circa 1912

Mark: Underlined N

Diameter: 11 inches

Height at edge: 1 inch

An excellent addition for the serious carnival glass collector, and an unusual opportunity to acquire a documented Northwood Holiday tray in marigold.