When you’re researching vintage or antique items, it can take forever to find examples of a particular piece – especially when you don’t know the right search terms to use.
This reverse glossary lets you look up a variety of vintage and antique items using common terms. You’ll see suggestions for various proper or alternative words to try in search engines. Check each of the sections, since many of the same terms apply to glass and pottery.
I’ll keep adding to the list as I discover new terms, so subscribe to the blog if you want to keep up! And feel free to suggest additional terms that I should add.
GENERAL
Signature: Try “mark,” “hallmark” or “backstamp.”GLASS
Bottle: Large, usually rounded, blue or green, with narrow neck and stopper (may be covered with straw, wicker or metal): Try “demijohn” or “carboy.”
Butter Dish: “Butter tub” or “covered butter.” Also, try “cheese bowl”
Cake Stand: If there’s a deeper dish on top, try “compote,” “covered compote,” “fruit server,” “salver” or “footed bowl.”
Condiment Set and Stand (salt/pepper/cruets): “Castor set”
Cookie Jar: “Biscuit jar” or “cracker jar” – even “cigar jar”!Cruet: “Syrup jug” or “molasses can”
Cut Glass: “American Brilliant Cut Glass” is the proper term. Often abbreviated to “ABP” for “American Brilliant Period.”
Decanter: Try “bar bottle”
Dish: Round, with inset rim: Try “butter dish” or “cheese dish.”Drinking Glasses: The proper term is “tumbler.” If it looks like a tumbler but you’re not sure, try “spoon holder” or “spooner.” Also, try “juice glass.”
Drinking Glass with Heavy Rim (with or without foot): Try “spoon holder” or “spooner.”Etched Glassware: Try “Floricut” (a popular brand of etched EAPG) or “Elegant Glass”
Footed Glass Jar: Try “candy dish,” “pickle jar”
Goblet, oversized. Try “spooner” or “buttermilk goblet.”
Ice Bucket: “Ice tub” or “ice bowl”
Juice Pitcher: Try “water pitcher” or “water set”
Miniature glass bowls (1 inch or so): Open SaltMulticolored Glass(colors all running together): “Spatterware” or “End of Day,” “frigger,” “slag glass”
Oval or Elongated Bowls and Plates: “Celery,” “bread tray,” “spoon tray,” “banana bowl,” “centerpiece” “ice cream tray” or “pickle”
Pitcher: The proper term is “jug” for one with straight sides and flat bottom. (Also, try “tankard” or “decanter”)
Plate with center handle: Try “sandwich plate” or “sandwich server.” If the edges are turned up, it could be a fruit tray.
Plate that looks like a frying pan: Try “spider”
Plate with opposite sides turned up: Try “muffin tray” or “folded edge.”
Pressed Glass: The proper term is Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG). Many websites use this term exclusively.
Small Shallow Bowls (With or without handle): “Nappy,” bonbon,” “fruit bowl,” “finger bowl,” “honey dish” or “berry bowl.”Small Glasses (Shot glass size): Try “spill holder” or “match holder” as well as “whiskey glass” and “toothpick holder”
Small round bowl with two handles: Olive
Sugar bowl: “Covered sugar”
Wine Glass (Or any glass with a foot): “Goblet,” “jelly glass,” “pilsner,” “ale,” “rummer,” “parfait”JEWELRY
Brooch with a piece on a spring: “En tremblent” or “trembler” (can also apply to other jewelry)Clasps, earring backs, hooks (anything that holds jewelry together): “Findings”
- Brooch pin that slides into a holder: “C” style clasp
- Brooch pin that slides into holder that closes: Safety or Rollover clasp
- Necklace clasp that looks like a question mark and springs open: Lobster claw
- Necklace clasp where a “T” shaped piece of metal slides into a circle, then straightens out to hold it closed: Try “toggle clasp.”
Earring posts:
Open wire (no closure): Fish hook (common on older jewelry)
Open wire (slips into hook at the end): Wire Kidney(also common on older jewelry)
Matching set of jewelry (necklace, bracelet and earrings): Parure
Piece that attaches a pendant to the necklace chain: “Bail”
Rhinestones: Try “diamante”
Smooth, round or oval stones with flat back: Cabochon
Stones set so tightly together that they make a uniform surface: PavéPORCELAIN AND POTTERY (Try “ceramic” “porcelain,” “ironstone” or “stoneware”
Beads (raised) of color on ceramics and porcelain: “Moriage”Bowl, Candleholders and Flower “Frog”: Try “console set”
Bowl, serving: If you can’t find it under “serving,” try “console bowl.”
Candlestick: Try “candle holder” or “match holder”
Coasters: Try “pin dish”Divided Bowls or Dishes: Try “caboret,” “compartment” or “relish dish.”
Footed Porcelain Bowls: “Nut bowl” and sometimes “salt”
Holes on Top: Try “powder shaker” or “hatpin holder” as well as “salt & pepper”
Miniature Porcelain Dishes: “Nut dish” or “Open Salt”
Mug: Try “tankard”
Round, flat disk with pencil-sized holes throughout: Try “flower frog” or “frog.”
Shiny Porcelain (often made in Japan/Nippon): “Lusterware” or “Lustreware”Small Bowl, Plate and Spoon: “Condiment set” or “Mayonnaise set”
Small bowls (4” to 6” in diameter): Try “berry,” “bonbon,” “nappy” or “nut” bowl
Stern Asian men in robes: Immortals (pictured on the moriaged lamp above)VASES
Crimped, flared rim: Trumpet vase
Double handles: Try “urn”
Round, ball or globe-shaped: Rose vase
Smooth, flared rim: Tappan vase
Straight, wide opening, with or without foot (Like an oversized tumbler or spoon holder):Try “celery” – celery was often served “standing up” in a vase as well as on a dish.
Tall vase (usually plain) with gently sloping sides: Flip vase
Vertical ribbing, narrow in middle and ruffled rims (often iridized): Try “stretch vase.”
Strangely, irregularly shaped tall vase: Try “swung vase.”MISCELLANEOUS
Handbags/Purses: Try “reticule” or “flapper purse” (for a beaded purse that’s one piece, handle and all)Metal items with “miniature stained glass” motifs: Try “pique a jour.”
Metal tray painted with flowers: “Toleware”Porcelain knick-knacks: Try “fairings,” especially if they feature pigs or funny situations and sayings.
Plastic: Try “Bakelite” or “celluloid.” For newer items, try “Lucite.”
Oh my gosh!
Thanks
Brilliant Help!
Hi all, I was wondering if you might be able to help me identify a type of plate I found in an op shop. It is a small flat plate about the size of a standard saucer or bread plate however it has 4 indented circles in the middle about 3cm or 4cm in diameter. I have tried to do some research into what it could be but I haven’t had any luck, the only idea i had was that it may be a condiments plate with the indents meant to hold small bottles or something.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I love this.
I was hoping to find the answer ive been searching for here!
Im hoping maybe you could give me some knowledge on the item i have. I have searched all over the internet with no luck.
Okay.
Its porcelain, small, i think from the 80s. Its brown with 1/4 on the top being a pale yellow/ tan color (its the same brown and tan/off white ish color you see alot off, mostly mugs).
It is wider than it is tall, it has a little spout, a one finger handle. Now, the feature that has me stumped; its has 3 short little kick stand like legs on the bottom that it is supported by (idk if supported is the right word) and they are connected.
Im not trying to find that exact item. I just want to know what that feature is called.
If you email me i can email you back a picture.
Thank you so much.
Hope to talk to you soon.
Hi, Karley: I’m not familiar with that particular style. I did, however, Google “vintage porcelain pitcher tripod” and got several results that might be what you’re referring to.
I’m looking for someone who might know what a bowl I have would be purposed for. It’s a small glass bowl with a lid that has 16 round holes in it. Apparently meant to hold something. Can you please help? Janice
Could be a flower frog.
holds water while lid “places” flowers in arrangement
I came to this site hoping to find “triple David.” I have heard or seen it used to refer to a serving dish with three equal compartments. Do you know?
Wow, I’ve never heard of that one. Have you tried a Facebook group?
Could David be a misinterpretation of the word divided?
I have some glass etched vintage items that I can not find out the worth! How do I find this information?
Hi there!
Thanks so much for this. I’ve bookmarked you twice now!! Especially with the Anchor Hocking, Wexford page. :)) I have a few tumblers and a small shallow bowl of theirs. The tumblers were some of the first vintage items I bought. I can’t tell you how relieved and happy I was to find your blog last night!! I’ve had those tumblers for nearly two years without a name. Wahoo! Makes it all worthwhile. Doesn’t it?! 🙂
With regards to your key item searches for glassware and crystal, are they particularly for American items?
I do have three key word searches off the top of my head regarding glass items or crystal which are ‘carnival glass,”crystalline,’ or ‘ lead crystal.’ I’ve also found that the Waterford crystal website which may help those stuck for special keywords for various items.
Thanks again so much!
Will definitely follow your blog!! Hello all!
Kindest regards,
Rachel 🙂
So glad to find this site. I have an old Noritake vase that I now know is lusterware
Hello,
I found your blog from a post I posed a question on on “Vintage Glass” on Facebook. So glad to find this blog!
I don’t know much about blogs nor have I ever subscribed to any. So I was wondering how I can subscribe to yours? Do I need to download an app or anything? Or can you use my email I’ve provided for updates on your blog? I appreciate any help you may have.
Sincerely,
David
Welcome, David!
I hope to continue writing about the exciting things I discover about all sorts of “old” things. Thanks for the follow!
Hi David! Great post! I have a photo of some decanters that I can’t figure out what they are… They look a bit like pitchers. They have handles. They are made of ceramic. They have wide mouths that look like they are for pouring. But the tops are closed and they each have (like a group of three to four) small holes in the tops of each of the closed tops. The tops are indented. But the holes almost look like the type you’d see in the tops of salt and pepper shakers. But the decanters are large, like pitchers. These are strange looking. I have no idea what they are. I wish I could upload a photo to you. Do you have any idea what these are, or what they were used for?
Thanks much!
Kris Forman
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