Glass hen-on-nest covered dishes were produced by many different companies, and they can look surprisingly similar at first glance.
Fortunately, Indiana Glass hens have several distinctive features that make them easier to recognize once you know what to examine.
For this article, I am using photographs of a blue carnival glass Indiana hen that I previously owned and sold at auction. Its iridescent finish makes the details especially beautiful, but the basic shape and identifying features remain consistent across the many colors and finishes Indiana produced.
Disclosure: This post contains paid links to eBay. As an eBay Partner, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links.
A Brief History of the Indiana Glass Hen
The Indiana Glass Company operated in Dunkirk, Indiana, and became one of the country’s major producers of pressed and molded glassware. Collector research traces the familiar Indiana hen-on-nest form to approximately the mid-1930s.
The Dunkirk factory ceased production in late 2002, ending nearly a century of Indiana Glass manufacturing in the city.
Today, Indiana hens remain popular because they were produced over many decades in a wide variety of colors, finishes and base variations.
The Fastest Way to Recognize an Indiana Glass Hen
When I am trying to identify an Indiana hen, I look for these features:
- A narrow, flattened tail that points straight backward
- A head that faces directly forward
- A circular valve mark on the hen’s back
- No molded eggs on the cover
- An overall length of approximately seven inches
- A plain bottom without a decorative pattern
- A stippled or striated nest, sometimes with a beaded rim
- No Indiana Glass trademark or company name
No single feature should replace a careful comparison, but the combination can make an Indiana hen quite recognizable.
Look at the Flat, Unsplit Tail
The most useful identification feature may be the tail.
An Indiana Glass hen has a narrow, flattened tail that points straight back. It is not divided into two separate sections and does not flare outward into a split tail.
Many other glassmakers produced hens with wider, rounded or distinctly divided tails. If the tail is clearly split, the hen is not the familiar Indiana Glass form.
This feature is easiest to see from directly above or from behind rather than from the standard side view used in most online listings.
Check for the Circle on the Hen’s Back
Authentic Indiana hens have a circular impression on the center of the back, between the neck and tail.
Collectors often use this circle as an identifying feature, but it is not a company logo or trademark. It is a valve mark created during the manufacturing process.
Indiana Glass hens are generally unmarked, so you should not expect to find the company name molded into the glass. The circle is far more helpful than searching for a traditional maker’s mark.
Some newer imported hens closely resemble the Indiana form but lack the circle or show slightly different proportions and comb details. A missing circle should therefore make you pause and investigate further.
Look at the Head and Cover Design
The Indiana hen’s head faces straight ahead rather than turning noticeably to either side.
The cover is highly detailed with molded feathers, but it does not include eggs as part of the design. That absence can help distinguish the Indiana cover from hens made by other manufacturers.
Indiana Glass appears to have used one basic hen cover while changing the nest beneath it over time.
Indiana Glass Base Variations
In Glass Hen on Nest Covered Dishes, Shirley Smith lists five base styles under Indiana Glass. However, newer collector research attributes the cross-hatched version to Hocking Glass. I am including Smith’s original list below, followed by that important identification update.
- Cross-hatched base without beads
- Stippled base without beads
- Stippled base with slotted or open beads
- Stippled base with closed beads
- Striated base with closed beads
“Stippled,” “striated,” “open beads” and “closed beads” are collector terms used to describe the appearance of the glass. They were not necessarily the names Indiana Glass used at the factory.
My blue carnival example has the later striated nest with a closed beaded rim. The exterior resembles layers of straw or narrow horizontal ripples, while the beads form a continuous border around the top.
This Indiana Glass base has a striated exterior and a closed beaded rim.
A Note About the Cross-Hatched Base
Reference books remain valuable, but glass identification can change as researchers discover old catalogs, boxes and factory records.
Although Shirley Smith attributed the cross-hatched base to early Indiana Glass, newer research identifies the small and large cross-hatched hens as products of Hocking Glass Company.
For that reason, I would not identify a hen as Indiana Glass simply because it has a cross-hatched or basket-weave base.
This article is part of my growing glass hen identification series. You can begin with my introduction to Shirley Smith’s Glass Hen on Nest Covered Dishes reference books.
Measure the Dish
The standard Indiana Glass hen measures approximately seven inches across the widest part of the dish. Measurements can vary slightly, but an example that is considerably smaller or larger deserves closer investigation.
The underside of an Indiana base is generally plain, without a molded floral, basket-weave or other decorative design.
Indiana Glass Hen Colors and Finishes
One reason these hens are so collectible is the variety.
Shirley Smith’s guide documents approximately 29 colors and finishes associated with the Indiana hen. The precise number can vary depending on whether different shades, carnival treatments, frosted finishes and painted or stained versions are counted separately.
Commonly encountered examples include clear, milk glass, amber, olive green and several carnival glass finishes. Other colors can be substantially harder to find.
The hen shown in my photographs appears to be a blue carnival glass example. Its smoky blue glass has an iridescent surface that produces flashes of blue, gold, green and purple as the viewing angle changes.
Be Careful With Painted and After-Market Colors
Color is one of the most complicated parts of collecting Indiana hens.
Indiana Glass itself produced factory-decorated glass. During the 1960s and 1970s, some pieces were sprayed with a paint-like finish and then heated to help the coating adhere. Those finishes were not especially durable and may now show scratches, moisture damage or flaking.
At the same time, ordinary clear hens have also been painted or coated by private owners after leaving the factory. Purple, lavender and unusually bright pink surface treatments are among the colors collectors have reported seeing on altered pieces.
When evaluating an unusual color, examine:
- Scratches or flakes that reveal clear or amber glass underneath
- Uneven color around the rim or inside the nest
- Paint collected in recessed areas
- Differences between the color of the lid and base
- Whether the color appears in reliable reference material
- Whether the seller provides provenance or acknowledges a surface treatment
A painted hen is not necessarily unattractive or undesirable. The important thing is recognizing whether the color is original glass, a documented factory decoration or a later alteration.
Is It an Indiana Glass or Tiara Hen?
Indiana Glass and Tiara Exclusives were closely connected through their ownership by Lancaster Colony Corporation, and Indiana produced a great deal of glassware sold through Tiara’s home-party system.
However, the hen-on-nest dish itself was not sold as a Tiara Exclusives item, despite the frequent use of “Indiana Tiara hen” in online listings.
I would identify these dishes as Indiana Glass hens on nests, not Tiara hens.
Could the Hen and Base Be Mismatched?
Because the hen and nest are separate pieces, lids and bases can become mixed over time.
Check that:
- The lid sits securely inside the rim
- The underlying glass color matches
- The iridescence or surface finish is consistent
- The proportions look correct
- The base matches a documented Indiana form
Carnival glass can look dramatically different depending on lighting, so slight shifts in color do not automatically indicate a mismatch. Compare the underlying glass near the edges and on the underside rather than relying only on the brightest iridescent areas.
My Indiana Glass Hen
The blue carnival hen shown here has the major features I expect to see on an Indiana Glass example:
- A narrow, flat and unsplit tail
- A straight-facing head
- The circular valve mark on the back
- No eggs in the cover design
- A striated nest with closed beads
- A plain underside
- An overall length of approximately seven inches
Shopping for an Indiana Glass Hen
Online listings are not always identified correctly. Sellers may copy another listing or use the Indiana name for almost any large glass hen.
Before buying, compare the tail, valve mark, head position, size and base—not just the seller’s title.
Browse Indiana Glass hen-on-nest covered dishes currently available on eBay.
Paid eBay link. Please review each seller’s photographs, measurements, description and condition information carefully.
Indiana Glass hens are a wonderful example of why vintage identification requires more than recognizing a color or general shape. Once you learn to look for the flat tail, circular valve mark and distinctive base, the form becomes much easier to spot.
Next in this series, I plan to look at Mosser Glass hens and the challenge of distinguishing vintage examples from pieces that are still being made today.
Sources and Further Reading
- Shirley Smith, Glass Hen on Nest Covered Dishes: Identification & Value Guide, Second Edition, Volume 1
- Indiana Glass Collectors, “The Indiana Glass Hen on Nest – Part 1: Introduction”
- Indiana Glass Collectors, “Riviera Blue: The Long and Convoluted History of a Notable Color”
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