VINTAGE INDIANA GLASS HEN ON A NEST — PASTEL BLUE GLASS — ORIGINAL BOX — MODEL 4901
This is a beautiful vintage Indiana Glass Company “Hen on a Nest” lidded covered dish, offered in the highly collectible pastel blue glass colorway and complete with its original Indiana Glass retail box. The box identifies the piece as “Hen on a Nest / Poule Couveuse”, pastel blue glass / verre bleu pastel, model number 4901, made by Indiana Glass, A Lancaster Colony Company, in Dunkirk, Indiana.
This is the kind of piece collectors love because it has the full package: the classic hen form, the beaded rim, the striated nest base, the soft transparent blue glass, and the original box confirming the color and maker. Original packaging is especially desirable because so many vintage pressed glass pieces were separated from their boxes decades ago.
📌 ITEM DETAILS
Maker: Indiana Glass Company
Parent Company: Lancaster Colony Company
Pattern / Form: Hen on a Nest / Covered Hen Dish / Lidded Candy Dish
Model Number: 4901
Color: Pastel Blue Glass — also commonly searched as cornflower blue, ice blue, light blue, or powder blue
Material: Pressed glass
Measurement: 5 inches tall - 7 inches long
Pieces Included: 2-piece covered dish — hen lid and nest base
Original Box: Yes
Made In: America / Dunkirk, Indiana
Era: Vintage late 20th century, commonly associated with the 1970s–1980s Indiana Glass production period
💙 COLOR & GLASS DESCRIPTION
The glass is a gorgeous transparent pastel blue, not milk glass and not iridescent. The color has that soft ice blue / cornflower blue look that makes it especially attractive for cottagecore, grandmacore, farmhouse, Easter, spring, kitchen, and vintage glass displays. Light passes through the piece beautifully, showing off the molded detail in the feathers, the hen’s body, and the nest base.
This pastel blue color is far more desirable than the most common Indiana Glass hen colors.
🐔 DESIGN FEATURES
The covered dish features the classic Indiana Glass Hen on a Nest form with a detailed molded hen lid resting on a matching oval nest base. The hen has a defined comb, beak, wattle, feathered body, wing detail, and upright flat fan tail. The base has a beautiful beaded rim, with a row of rounded glass beads circling the edge. Below the rim, the nest is molded with a heavily textured striated basket-weave / straw-like pattern, giving the appearance of a rustic woven nest.
The contrast between the smooth transparent blue glass, the raised beadwork, and the highly detailed molded texture gives this piece wonderful display presence.
📦 ORIGINAL BOX DETAILS
The original box is a major value point. The front of the box reads:
Hen on a Nest
Poule Couveuse
pastel blue glass
verre bleu pastel
5" tall / 12.7 cm. de haut
made in America / fabriqué en Amérique
Indiana Glass — A Lancaster Colony Company
Dunkirk, Indiana 47336
Model 4901
The bilingual English/French wording adds extra collector interest and strongly suggests this boxed version was made for broader North American retail distribution, including the Canadian market. The graphics have a wonderful vintage look, with the illustrated hen, soft blue border, pink backing panel, and small colorful egg illustration.
🔎 AUTHENTICITY / COLLECTOR IDENTIFIERS
This is an authentic Indiana Glass Hen on a Nest piece. Important collector-identifying features include the flat upright tail, the beaded rim, the deep molded feather detail, and the striated nest base. The original box is the strongest identifying feature because it directly names the maker, color, model number, and factory location.
Unlike some other hen-on-nest makers, Indiana Glass pieces were typically not permanently stamped with a logo on the glass itself. That makes an original box especially important. In this case, the box acts almost like a certificate of authenticity because it confirms Indiana Glass, pastel blue glass, and model 4901.
🌿 WHY COLLECTORS WANT THIS PIECE
Hen on Nest dishes have become highly collectible again because they fit beautifully into several popular decorating styles: cottagecore, grandmacore, farmhouse kitchen, vintage Easter, country kitchen, spring decor, blue glass collections, and American pressed glass displays. They can be used as a covered candy dish, trinket dish, Easter display piece, kitchen shelf accent, or simply as a collectible glass hen.
The original box elevates this one above a standard loose dish. Many collectors already own a Hen on Nest, but finding one in pastel blue with the original box is much harder and more special.
✨ CONDITION
The two-piece glass hen on nest is in wonderful vintage condition with beautiful color, strong molded detail, and excellent display quality. The glass presents beautifully and the pastel blue color is bright, clean, and highly decorative.
The original cardboard box is also included and shows expected age-related wear. The box has some discoloration, tape on the top, roughness to the cardboard edges, and general vintage storage wear. The tape appears consistent with long-term original box storage. The box remains very valuable to the listing because it confirms the exact Indiana Glass maker, color, and model number.
🛒 HIGHLIGHT
YouBeYou LLC curates distinctive vintage, artisan, and collectible pieces chosen for character, craftsmanship, and enduring design. Our inventory focuses on objects that elevate a space — from rare statement décor to heirloom-quality finds that cannot be replicated by modern mass production.
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