Degenhart Owl Depot - Identify Age & Maker's Marks

Identify Age & Maker's Marks

In this section, we will compare maker's marks to give you a generalized idea of what time frame your Degenhart owl was manufactured. We will also help you become familiar with similar owls so you can tell them apart. The Degenhart maker's mark was applied when your owl was freshly pressed and still in the glass mould. The owl would be upside down in the mould, with the underneath part of the base facing up. While the glass was still hot, a worker would insert a small rod into the mould and hand-stamp the owl with a maker's mark. The owl would then be released from the mould and allowed to cool. Since each maker's mark was hand-stamped, some marks may be less distinctive or have an imperfect shape. These quirky charms remind us that each owl was entirely handmade.

1967 to 1972.

Letter "D" Inside of a Circle Outline.

Degenhart owls manufactured from 1967 to 1972 were hand-stamped with a simple letter "D" inside of a circle outline.

1972 to 1978.

Letter "D" Inside the Outline of a Heart.

Starting in 1972, Elizabeth Degenhart changed her maker's mark into the letter "D" inside the outline of a heart. They were marked this way until the closing of the factory in 1978.

Owl Hand-stamped with 4 Makers Marks.

This "Chad's Little Boy Blue" owl was hand-stamped 4 times. These maker's marks were the later version that had the letter "D" inside the outline of a heart. This is a very rare occurrence. We have only seen one available for sale on eBay. More could possibly exist.

Spotting the difference in Similar Owls

Although Degenhart Crystal Art Glass did create many original mould designs for their pressed glass, they also used existing moulds to create reproductions. The Degenhart owls are actually reproductions of the Westmoreland Glass Company's owl sitting on 2 books, which was originally introduced in 1919. They came in various colors but not nearly as many as Degenhart! Westmoreland Glass had an impressive history that spanned from 1889 to 1984. Pictured above is only ONE Degenhart owl surrounded by a group of Westmoreland owls. Can you spot the difference? If you guessed the purple owl in the middle, you are correct! :)

To tell Degenhart and Westmoreland owls apart, here are a few key differences:

Westmoreland owls don't have the Degenhart "D" maker's mark on the bottom. Instead, it has a flat bottom that often has a line across it from where the hot glass was snipped off with shears. (See image below.)
The Westmoreland owl sometimes has a small "W G" embossed by the left front foot or a small sticker label with the company name. It should be noted that sometimes the owls are unmarked, which is why the best determining factor is looking underneath the base.
Finally, when looking directly at the Westmoreland owl, you'll notice that both eyes sit perfectly level. With the Degenhart owl, the right eye droops ever so slightly. It's very subtle but the more you become familiar with it, the more you can tell them apart. Please view the image below for a side-by-side comparison.

Comparing Degenhart Eyes vs Westmoreland

Please look closely at the three pairs of eyes below. You'll notice that the top of the eyes on both Westmoreland owls are even and touch the bottom of the blue bar. On the Degenhart owl, only the top of the right eye lines up with the bottom of the bar, while the left eye drops slightly below it.

Comparing Degenhart Base vs Westmoreland

Pictured below is a Degenhart owl base with Westmoreland owl bases on both sides. Westmoreland owls don't have the Degenhart "D" maker's mark on the bottom. Instead, they have a flat bottom that often has a line across it from where the hot glass was snipped off with shears.

Degenhart Glass Owl Maker's Marks

All the owls pictured below are Westmoreland owls. They often have a small sticker label with the company name or the initials "WG" for Westmoreland Glass embossed next to the left front foot. There are also some of the older owls that are unmarked.

Owls with eyes

Westmoreland owls often have rhinestone eyes (pictured left and right). These sparkly adornments came in multiple colors. It's also not uncommon to find an owl with missing rhinestones as some of these owls are very well travelled after many years. Some Westmoreland owls have painted silver eyes to "look" like rhinestones, while others weren't manufactured with rhinestone eyes to begin with.

Reproduction of Westmoreland Owls by Rosso Glass

Sometime in the 1990s, Rosso Glass had reproductions of Westmoreland owls made. It is unknown what colors were made during this time. These two examples (both pictured in the middle) have stunning slag patterns and colors. Rosso Glass owls can be identified by the small letter "R" embossed on the lower book on the base. There are two arrows below pointing to them. The owls on the left and right are Westmoreland owls.

Lancaster Glass Owl

Perhaps the owl that started it all was the Lancaster Glass owl. We suspect this owl was the predecessor to both the Westmoreland and Degenhart owl. The Lancaster Glass Company manufactured glass from 1908 to 1937. The Westmoreland owl wasn't introduced until 1919. We suspect Lancaster Glass produced their owl earlier, but we aren't certain. We can only go by the evidence we've seen so far. An early 1900s catalog shows the Lancaster Glass owl listed toward the bottom. We also see it listed a second time in a popular Levin Brothers wholesale catalog dated 1919. The owl would have already been in stock for resell at this time since this was a wholesale company and not a glass company listing it. We know that the Levin Brothers was founded in 1886.

In the past, glass companies would often create very similar pieces to each other. Especially if it was a popular item. They would take a popular piece and slightly alter it before selling it themselves. Mimicry was the best form of flattery. Pictured below is the Lancaster Glass owl from different angles. This owl can be quite difficult to find given it's around 116 years old and more than likely fewer were made compared to the Westmoreland and Degenhart owls.

Lancaster Glass Catalog from the early 1900s.

The Lancaster owl is located at the bottom of the catalog page, second from left.

Levin Bothers Catalog from 1919.

The Lancaster owl is located on the right of the catalog page, the second group from the top.

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