Mount Washington Burmese Tumblers

I have recieved the following comments from one of our members who happens to be an avid tumbler collector.

Regarding the tumblers, assuming they were all in very good condition (no damage, little wear of the decoration, etc.) the prices paid are about what I would expect to have paid a few years ago except for the $790 tumbler with the rose decoration. I would not have paid that amount.

One of the things that has concerned me about two of the five decorated Burmese tumblers I own is the thickness of their walls. Mt Washington Burmese (at least the early Burmese) has very thin walls. Of the tumblers in the photo, two have much thicker walls than the other three and make me wonder if the tumblers were possibly produced by Phoenix and a good artist (not Mt. Washington) decorated them. That is very likely the case with the Egyptian motif tumbler. The tumbler with the pansies decoration also is somewhat clunky even though it has the same finished pontil that the thin wall tumblers have.

The tumbler with the fern leaf motif is in much better condition than the one I have, however mine has a Mt. Washington label, something that I have only seen 3-4 times.

I hate to answer this question as I don't have any interest in tumblers, but as far as painted Bermese, I think the prices are high. If all you want is painted bermese you can get it cheaper, but I think the draw is the tumbler. At this price, I wish I had several laying around.

I don't collect tumblers anymore but I couldn't help but watch a recent auction for three Mount Washington decorated Burmese tumblers. I was, of course, interested in what they went for.


Jim.