An 1889 celery vase made in the Maize pattern by Libbey Glass. It’s 6½ inches high. SCOTT SIMMONS / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Sometimes, it’s cool to be corny.

That no doubt was the kernel of wisdom Joseph Locke dispensed in 1889, when he designed the Maize Art Glass line for the Libbey Glass Co.

Corn would have been a staple in the daily lives of late 19th-century Americans, who no doubt grew their own corn, if they lived on a farm, or fed it to the hens they kept in town to provide eggs.

It was a popular motif — Carrie Harrison, wife of President Benjamin Harrison, helped design White House china that bore a corn motif on its rim, painted in gold against a cobalt blue border.

I was quite excited when my mom picked up a piece of opaque glass in the shape of an ear of corn.

Based on her description, I knew it had to be old.

This ear, which is 6½ inches high, was designed as a celery vase, according to a Libbey Glass catalog page.

It speaks to another time.

Celery was an expensive commodity throughout the 19th century — imported from the Mediterranean, it was difficult to grow in the cooler climes of northern Europe and North America.

Upper- and middle-class Victorians liked to display their cut celery in vases filled with water. It was easy to use as a snack between meals and it displayed their prosperity.

Celery vases in a variety of forms were popular until around the turn of the 20th century, when the vegetable became widely available. Those tall, skinny pressed-glass vases on pedestals you sometimes see at thrift and antiques shops originally were celery vases.

My corn-shaped celery vase was created from opaque glass and decorated with an oil-based stain to simulate the green of the husks and the leaves. At one point, it might have boasted a retail value of $100 or more; most I see online are priced around $40-$50.

Libbey also made lamps, pitchers, butter dishes, serving bowls and other accessories in the pattern, which remained popular, even after Libbey discontinued it.

Fast-forward to the mid-20th century, when Westmoreland, Imperial, Fenton and other glass companies began replicating earlier American patterns.

A pink satin glass covered candy dish inspired by the Maize pattern and created for L.G. Wright around 1970. It’s just over 7 inches high. SCOTT SIMMONS / FLORIDA WEEKLY

L.G. Wright bought some of the molds and from the 1950s onward reproduced many of the popular patterns, often hiring top glass companies of the day to replicate the pieces.

Case in point: My pink covered dish.

It’s cased glass, with a layer of white glass on the inside and pink on the outside that was etched with acid to give it a matte satin finish.

I don’t remember when or where I bought the pink Maize pattern covered dish — apropos of everything, I unearthed it in the maze that is my garage. It had a $125 price tag in it, but I think I found it discounted at 75% off.

But I do remember asking my appraiser friend whether he thought it was the real deal — he agreed that it was a newer piece, probably made by Fenton Glass Co. for L.G. Wright in the 1960s.

An internet search confirmed that.

The website www.realorrepro.com, offered by Ruby Lane, is a great resource.

According to an article by Mark Chervenka, my pink satin glass covered dish appears in a 1970 L.G. Wright catalog.

These pieces typically bore foil or paper labels indicating the manufacturer. Those frequently fall off or get washed away with time.

But 1970 is more than 50 years ago, so even a reproduction now is vintage.

And I suppose this dish, marketed as a candy bowl, isn’t really a reproduction — the shape was not part of the Libbey line. It actually was inspired by it.

Either way, it’s a fun piece that offers more than a bit of whimsy. ¦

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