Normally plates are round, but back in the 1930s just as today, some manufactures made square shaped dinnerware. Let’s look at wo patterns that feature square – or squares with cut off corners – from depression glass makers Indiana and Federal.
First up is Indiana Lorain, featuring a basket and swag pattern. This is one of the loveliest mold etched designs and you can collect green or yellow and mix in a few pieces of crystal too.
Lorain Green Depression Glass Lunch Plate
Lorain isn’t a plain square shape. Like most of the square patterns it’s more square-ish. Those little scallops on the corner look great as a background for the basket motif.
Cups, tumblers, creamers and sugars are also squared.
Lorain Green Depression Glass Cup from Indiana Glass
A true square cup with a flat edge would be hard to drink out of, so the edges are curved back to make it more comfortable on your mouth and less likely to dribble.
Lorain Green Depression Glass Footed Tumbler from Indiana
Another square-ish pattern that was made about 10 years after Lorain is the solid, geometric Columbia glass from Federal. This comes in crystal plus a few basic pieces in pink.
Columbia Crystal Depression Glass 9 Inch Luncheon Plate
One interesting thing about Columbia is the pattern lacks a dinner plate. The luncheon plate pictured is the size many patterns would consider a dinner plate, about 9 1/2 across. Federal made a larger plate, about 11 inches across, that they called a chop plate, or a serving platter.
Columbia bowls are round and some of the serving bowls are ruffled.
Federal Columbia Clear Depression Glass Cereal Bowl
Columbia is one of the very few patterns that does not have a creamer and sugar, although it does have cup and saucer and this butter dish. Notice the butter lid is round and the base is square-ish.
Columbia doesn’t have the graceful mold etched design full of swags and scrolls and flowers. It reflects the heavier, more geometric designs popular in the late 1930s and it is quite attractive in a table setting. We had a good sized set at one time but I never thought to get a picture of a full table. The pressed dots reflect the light and it sparkles, quite nice.
I hope you enjoyed seeing a couple of the square-ish depression glass patterns. Leave a comment and please visit our sponsors!