Beaded Tulip                  by Marg Iwen

This pretty pattern was made by the McKee Glass Company, Pittsburgh, about 1894. The original McKee catalog name was ANDES, but Ruth Webb Lee called it BEADED TULIP, the name most commonly used by collectors today.     The main pattern elements consist of two varieties of coarse flowers on rather erect stems. The ridges that make up the edges of the flowers are notched, not beaded, so why the name Beaded Tulip was chosen remains a mystery.

It has been suggested that the designer of the pattern took direction from Pennsylvania Dutch designs. Others feel the inspiration may have come from old stitchings that graced the walls of 19th Century homes. Some forms comprising this pattern have smooth rims, but many have irregular edges of floral "petals." Consequently, these forms are subject to damage which may range from a small hardly noticeable chip to a completely sheared off petal. Because the edges of some pieces are so irregular, damage to them may have occurred when they were removed from the mold--but more than likely damage was inflicted by previous owners.

	Forms known to exist include: Cake stand Master berry bowl, (may be found with cover) Individual berry or flat sauce Oval relishes in at least three sizes Water pitcher Milk pitcher Pitcher sized between milk pitcher and creamer Goblet Wine Champagne (rare) Wine tray Water tray Covered sugar bowl Creamer Spooner Covered butter Footed sauce (scarce) Possibly other forms exist.

This pattern is usually found in clear, but isolated reports indicate some forms may also be found in blue and green. It would not be so surprising to find forms in green, as McKee was pressing many forms in green in the Hickman (La Clede) pattern about 1894 & also in the Feather aka Doric pattern later in the 1890s. It is hard to say exactly how long this pattern continued in production, but it seems that it was produced only for a short time.    It is an aberrant among other McKee patterns of the time, bearing no resemblance to other being pressed around 1894, including Doric, Ionic, Germanic, Majestic, Celtic, Britannic, Masonic, Teutonic, and others. This pattern is more likely to be found east of the Mississippi rather than in the Middle West, West, or Far West. Finding pieces of this pattern in perfect condition is exciting. However, if the damage to a piece is not too severe, and the price is adjusted to reflect the damage, such a piece can be a welcome addition to a collection of this relatively scarce pattern.

And imagine this!  Just when we thought we had seen it all, comes Shannon Benson with a photo of her amber Beaded Tulip water pitcher! She purchased it in Mississippi.  We thank her for sharing it with us!