sandwich glass

The phrase "Sandwich Glass" is used to refer to two different categories of glassware. The most accurate of the two would be in reference to the glassware produced by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., Cape Cod Glassworks, and their contemporaries in and around the town of Sandwich, Massachusetts, from the 1820s into the 1880s.

The other usage of the term Sandwich Glass refers to some specific glassware patterns produced by a number of makers from the 1920s to present. These patterns were inspired by a group of patterns made popular by those Sandwich, MA glassmakers that have a flower and ornate scroll motif with the space between filled with stippling (tiny raised dots). The phrase "Sandwich pattern" would be much more accurate for these later pieces, as the common thread is the similarity of the patterns as opposed to the common locale of the various glassmakers.

Since Sandwich pattern items are much more recent, and have been produced in far greater quantities than the 19th century glassware that inspired them, you are much more likely to find Sandwich pattern items at shops, auctions, and flea markets. While these patterns were all inspired by the same source, they vary slightly depending on the specific maker. Telling them apart can be difficult, but not impossible.