Opalescent Fenton Cat Slipper #013

This cat slipper is a new release from the Fenton Glass Company. Although this is similar in color to the Vaseline glass, it does not have uranium in it’s patent ingredients; it has magnesium.  This does flouresce, but very weakly.  Some Vaseline collectors include any flourecing item as collectible.  In this collection only the Vaseline with a make-up of 2% uranium sulphates is marked as Vaseline.

In 1970 the carnival cat slipper was introduced and all the shoes were marked with a label instead of a pressed sole logo. This is referred to in the Fenton catalog as “Carnival Cat Slipper #5290. This was the third design of the cat (or kitten) slipper to be made; the first was the daisy and button design and the second was the hobnail pattern, as seen on shoe # 012.

The two photos below show more detail of the cat. It’s head at the frot top of the shoe, curling forward and down, and its extended front paws.

Another close-up of the detail.

This is the black and silver Fenton paper label which was used beginning in 1970. It is unusual to have a paper sticker label remain on a gift shoe, and increases the value of the shoe (though not by much.)

This shoe was purchased as a gift acquisition for the collection and was not owned by Lillian P. Wood. It was purchased in Mineral Point, WI in 2004 by the current owner. Valued at $10.00; with label intact, $12.00 to $15.00.

Information from Fenton Glass: The Third Twenty-Five Years by William Heacock, published by The Glass Press, 1994.  Other sources were: personal records; Collectible Glass Shoes by Earlene Wheatley, published by Schroeder Publishing, 2001; and Shoes of Glass 2 by Libby Yalom, published by The Glass Press, 1998.