The Chalet Cranberry in Clear Crystal Line

Maestro Sergio Pagnin played a multi-functional role at Chalet Artistic Glass – he was one of the owners, he was the company chemist, he was a Master glassblower that actively worked on the factory floor and led teams of artists and he worked with Maestro Luigi Tesco to develop lines of product for the Chalet inventory. Chalet added both individual pieces in new designs and evolved older styling as well as introducing complete lines to the 1962 opening inventory. Some were successful while others were not.

One of the later and more limited lines that Pagnin and Tedesco developed was the cranberry in clear crystal. These were heavy, sommerso hand-blown pieces. They were production pieces - NOT seconds as are the solid “pink” Chalet hand-blown pieces which were coloured with leftover Chalet cranberry. The cranberry in clear crystal pieces distinguishing characteristic from the “pink” is their colouring. Cranberry colouring is submerged within layers of clear crystal. There is visual separation, of varying degree, between the cranberry colouring and the clear crystal. Sometimes this appears as a rimming or distinct line but often times, this can be less obvious. However, these pieces are typically not uniformly “pink” throughout.

Here is an example: A cranberry in clear crystal production vase and a “pink” Chalet ashtray second.

Cranberry in clear crystal vase at left rear and “pink” cranberry ashtray in left foreground.

Pieces from the cranberry in crystal line are featured in this 1971 company promotional advertising:

In addition, 14 cranberry in clear crystal (c in cc) forms from this line are showcased on a Chalet catalogue sheet. However, just as with all the other Chalet inventory, there are more “c in cc” pieces than shown in the Chalet reference materials we currently possess.

An original catalogue page gifted to me by Chalet *Maestro* Giulio Gatto.

You will note that many of these forms are familiar and seen in other colour palettes. A few, however, are not. And a few Chalet “icons” are not featured.

A close up look at the forms on this page. Please note that the descriptors for these forms, with the exceptions of fazoletto, vase and basket, are ones that I have coined and are not official Chalet “names.” You may be accustomed to calling them something completely different. Chalet did not “name” their pieces – they only gave them inventory/production numbers.

Top row, from left to right:

Centerpiece with inward (toward piece) upward curved pull. It is shown as being produced in 1 height and with inventory #13115 – 12” high.

Fazoletto (handkerchief) vase. It is shown as being produced in 3 heights and with separate inventory numbers for each.

Inventory #112101 – 10” high

Inventory #112102 – 8” high

Inventory #112105 – 7” high

Basket centerpiece. It is shown as being produced in 3 heights and with separate inventory numbers for each.

Inventory #13106 – 15” high

Inventory #13107– 12” high

Inventory #13108 – 10” high

“Trillium” throat vase. It is shown as being produced in 3 heights and with separate inventory numbers for each.

Inventory #14109 – 17” high

Inventory #14110 – 13” high

Inventory #14111 – 8” high

Second row, from left to right:

Centerpiece with upward and then curved away from piece pull. It is shown as being produced in 2 heights and with 2 separate inventory numbers.

#12116 – 12” high

#12117 – 9” high

From the collection of 50 Shades group member Paul Winsor.

“Banana boat” centerpiece. It is shown as being produced in 2 lengths and with 2 separate inventory numbers.

#12095 – 16” long

#12096– 13” long

From the collection of Cindy Bishop-Laughlin.

“Swan” centerpiece. It is shown as being produced in 3 heights and with separate inventory numbers for each.

Inventory #12098 – 18” high

Inventory #12099 – 13” high

Inventory #12100 – 11” high

Third row, from left to right:

3 “lobed” rounded corner bowl. It is shown as being produced in 1 diameter and with inventory #12097 – 15” across.

3 “triangle” pointed corner bowl. It is shown as being produced in 1 diameter and with inventory #120797 – 9” across.

3 “lobed throat” vase with narrow throat. It is shown as being produced in 1 height and with inventory #14112– 11 ½” high. I do not have a picture of this vase on file so have shown it vis a vis a cropping of the production page. This is an exceptionally rare piece.

4 “butt” lobed petal ashtray. It is shown as being produced in 1 diameter and with inventory #11075 - 5 ½” across.

“3 butt trillium” ashtray. It is shown as being produced in 1 height and with inventory #110765 - 8” across.

4 “butt” frilled ruff ashtray. It is shown as being produced in 1 diameter and with inventory #11074 - 3 ½” across.

From group member Ella Hanks’ collection.

3 “lobed throat” vase with wide throat. It is shown as being produced in 1 height and with inventory #14113– 10” high.

It is seen quite often. Notice it is much broader throughout its body and the throat is quite open as compared to vase #14112 above that I could not show.

We have discovered other cranberry in clear crystal forms that are not featured on the above inventory sheet.

Catalogue sheet ashtray forms:

Other styles of not featured ashtrays:

An iconic Chalet ashtray form in cranberry and clear crystal, is the “4 leaf clover” style.

A much more unusual piece.

Only this style of basket, to date, has been found in cranberry in clear crystal. It is the design from the catalogue page.

Not shown on the catalogue sheet is another Chalet icon. The “finger” cigar bowl. This is an exceptionally rare piece.

The inventory sheet bowls:

Rarer “ c in cc” bowl styles.

This is a huge piece. Close to 14” in diameter.

A pedestal bowl which came in 2 sizes with a much smaller diameter. Both 6” and 8” diameter bowls were produced. This style is shown in the Riekes Crisa 1976 General Catalogue in clear crystal.

A cake plate.

Stunning cranberry and clear crystal candleholders were also not featured on the inventory sheet:

Centerpieces from the production page:

A few others not. Two of which are remarkably familiar forms:

And this unusual “gondola” – another not shown:

A pitcher form:

The vases featured on the inventory sheet:

Others that are not:

The crystal twist:

This icon in cranberry in crystal from the collection of Jonathon Tremblay.

This absolutely breathtaking “fingertip” vase belongs to Charlane Dastrup Bastian. So very rare.

Photograph courtesy of Dawn Tolhurst. Another very rare piece.

I have never seen another decorative detail like this one on a Chalet piece.

The next 4 vases have two things in common – cranberry in clear crystal colouring. And they each have been embellished with the face prunt designed by Maestro Sergio Pagnin. We know from a 2010 interview with Chalet Maestri Bruno Panizzon and Giulio Gatto and Chalet artist Gianfranco Guarnieri that these were not popular with the artists.

A close up of the prunt:

This prunt can be found used alone, on front and back sides of a vase or on all 4 sides.

“Conspicuous by its absence” is a cranberry in crystal “long-arm stretch.” To date, I am unaware of such. Nor have we seen any cranberry in clear crystal animal figurines. But… “Never say Never!”

2 big cranberry in crystal surprises!

Uranium! We have seen clear crystal animals that contain uranium but this is these are the only ones of this colouring of which I am presently aware. This basket from the collection of Lisa Han Xiachong.

And an ashtray:

Two novelties:

Caused when the temperatures in the annealing (cooling) oven was too high., The glass was unable to harden properly and its own weight led to collapse. These would have been considered by Chalet as “seconds.” Typically, 25% of each day’s production was deemed not up to the quality expected. Decisions about glass quality were made only by the owners. Chalet did sell their seconds. Unless they were broken, they were not discarded.

Contributed by group member Kim Tersteeg.

As with all pieces of Chalet, since these were hand-blown, there is variation in size from the production sheet and each other as well as in shape, colour, and colour placement

Many Chalet forms were produced in more than one size. However, you may very well notice that there is slight variation from the dimensions listed on the inventory sheets with pieces you find. However, a piece has to be significantly larger or smaller than typical to be considered out of the ordinary based on its size. I see many pieces of Chalet being called “minis” (especially the small 7” “spike and curls” centerpieces) that actually are not. They are merely the smallest production size of that form.

Typical production size variation. Tall vase is 18 1/2 inches and the vase at left in 12 inches while the listing sheet has the two larger sizes as 17 inches and 13 inches.

More standard production size variation from the listing sheet.

On either side of the 13” listing - vase at left is 13 1/2” and at right - a 11 ½ “ vase.

A very marked colour variation. Colour could be affected by environmental factors in the factory as well as the condition and cleanliness of the crucible. As the crucibles aged, they degraded which did impact the mix.

Swan at left belongs to collector Cathy Young. The swan centerpiece on the right is from the collection of Wallace Addison White.

Variation in both colour and colour placement is apparent in this “jardiniere” style vase pair.

Just a variation in shape – not a different styling.

And the arms of this basket, belonging to Jocelyn Koepke, touch while the arms of the baskets shown above do not.

Dwain Robertson has two “banana boat” centerpieces. Note the differences – the most obvious is the base height.

This lovely pair shows different intensity of colour and its gradation. Photograph courtesy of Josh Dolstra.

A marked difference in both the overall shape and the “handkerchief” folds. These etched “Chalet Canada” fazoletto vases are from the collection of Pierre Denis.

The colour saturation of these two ashtrays of the same form is quite different from one to the other.

Cranberry in clear crystal pieces have been found with a variety of company and distributor markings. However, to date, fewer than typical.

Chalet Artistic Glass branding

Etched “Chalet Canada.”

The gold “Hand Made in Canada” Chalet label:

A double marked – etched and stickered.

Not only does this “banana boat” have 2 indicia, but it is also an example of a piece being significantly different from the norm. It is 21” in length – this form is listed on the inventory sheet as either 13 or 16 inches. This big boy from the collection of Evelyn Lehmann.

From Chalet’s largest Canadian distributor - N. C. Cameron & Sons Ltd.:

American distributor Riekes Crisa stickers:

The black artist palette shaped label:

And the silver “John Riekes Collection” sticker. This collection was named in honour of John Riekes – the grandson of the Riekes Crisa founder. He was killed very young in a tragic car accident. It does not indicate the name of the artist – John Riekes was not a glass blower.

Another from the collection of Ella Hanks.

Some pieces from this line were also featured in the Riekes Crisa catalogs:

Like this bowl from the collection of group member Sophie Pulos.

With the long-shot exception of a pair of hand-molded Rossi made candleholders none of the other Canadian glasshouses of that era did pieces that are likely to be mistaken for Chalet or vice versa.

However. this suspension of cranberry colour in clear crystal was used in some Murano and many Val St. Lambert pieces. I have often turned over a cranberry in crystal piece that I thought could be Chalet only to find the Val St. Lambert signature. In particular, some of the Val St. Lambert vases. The Murano made pieces are not as similar.

Some similar Val St. Lambert forms.

A few Murano that might make you pause for a quick second look:

:

Some lovely “gorgeous grouping” photographs:

The 3 sizes of baskets. A lovely interplay of light and shadow from group member Melanie Brown Daniels.

Now some “perfect pairs”:

When I was researching and gathering photographs for this article, I went to other collectors and group members (I always do) for assistance. As typical, I received great support and some of their pictures are of displays with these pieces that just have to be shared: