Colonial Fluted depression glass is easy to recognize if you remember its nickname “Rope”. (To quote Hazel Marie Weatherman, “Now why did Federal want to call this pattern Colonial Fluted? Our old nickname ‘Rope’ fits it better seems to me.”)
See the rope like twist design around the edge of the creamer? All pieces have this motif. The creamer foot echoes the same flute and rope design. I love how the depression glass designers used such details to make this mass-produced glass attractive and special.
Rope (I’m going to call it that since there are several patterns with “Colonial” in their name) is one of the early patterns Federal made in green, from 1928 to 1933. Although we’d think a pattern made for 5 years would be readily available, that isn’t true. Apparently people who owned Rope used it and it’s hard to find pieces in good condition.
Go-With Patterns
Back in 1999 when I started to sell glass I bought a set of green glass that turned out to be three separate patterns, all the same color and similar style.
- Colonial Fluted/Rope had fluted sides and rope motif around the rim.
- Some dinner plates had the rope but no flutes.
- Federal Hostess pattern, cups, saucers and lunch plates, had the flutes and no rope.
Federal made these go-with patterns so the colors match. There is no Colonial Fluted dinner plate so if you like the design, look for the rope-only go-with plate.
This is the Rope-only dinner plate.
This is the Hostess cup, saucer and lunch plate. You can see how well these go with the Colonial Fluted pattern, lacking only the rope edge.
Pieces and Availability
Rope isn’t a fancy pattern. It’s essentially a luncheon/dessert service with limited serving pieces and no accessories. Look for two sizes of plates, 6 inch wide sherbet liner or bread and butter, 8 inch luncheon plate, a small 4 inch sauce dish/berry bowl, a 6 inch cereal, cup, saucer, sherbet. The only serving pieces are creamer and sugar, a 7 1/2 inch serving bowl and a 6 1/2 inch deeper salad bowl. There is no platter or pitcher. The sugar has a lid but I’ve read that it tends to dislodge easily.
Back in 1970 Hazel Marie Weatherman listed Colonial Fluted/Rope in green, crystal, decorated crystal and pink, but she noted in1978 that people saw pink Rope so seldom that she dropped it from her listing. Gene Florence lists green, crystal, and a few crystal pieces with decals to use with card parties. I have seen green only and none since about 2000.
Rope is relatively inexpensive when you find it. Replacements has a cereal bowl for $16, on the low end for cereal bowls in depression glass patterns. Cups, saucers, plates, sherbets are mostly under $10, even less if you find a group of pieces.
Understated patterns like Rope are easy on the eye and blend with others. If you like this simple design you might look online to find pieces. I noticed several pieces on eBay listed as “Colonial Fluted” and there are likely others without pattern identification. Replacements has a few pieces too.
Enjoy this simple, attractive pattern; it’s almost 100 years old!