The Magic (star) Fruit Jar

The Magic Fruit Jar

(Embossed Star)

Hermann Buchholz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dark Amber Pint

Provenance: Patricia Sprang Collection

Our beautiful dark amber Magic Fruit Jar pint has a prominently embossed star on the face of the jar. The star is encircled by embossed copy reading ‘THE MAGIC’ (top convex arch) and ‘FRUIT JAR’ (bottom concave arch). The closure is a top seal with a straddle lip glass lid held down by a cast iron and wire cam clamp. The lid is embossed ‘CLAMP PAT. MARCH 30TH 1886.’ The original Magic Fruit Jar clamps were made of iron and are attracted to a magnet. Our jar including all components is in extraordinary condition.

The jar is typically found in aqua half-gallons, quarts, and pints with a ground lip glass lid with a metal and wire clamp. Examples are also reported in amber, yellow-amber, black-amber, and yellow-olive. These colors are much rarer.

Hermann Buchholz received “Patent No. 339,083, Clamp for Jars” on March 30, 1886, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The patent drawing is pictured below. The maker is uncertain but may have been made circa 1889 by the Youngstown Stamping Company in Bellaire, Ohio.

The Magic (Star) Fruit Jar uses the same patented clamp found on Fruit Keeper and Brighton jars. Magic and Brighton lids are identical. However, all three jars use a slightly different metal clamp. The Fruit Keeper clamp is marked with the 1886 patent date.

Primary Image: The Magic Fruit Jar imaged on location by the FOHBC Virtual Museum midwest studio led by Alan DeMaison.

Support Image: Auction Lot 157: “The Magic / (Star) / Fruit Jar” Fruit Jar, America, 1886-1900. Cylindrical, brilliant yellow amber, ground mouth with metal and wire clamp and glass lid embossed “Clamp Pat. March 30th 1886” – smooth base, half gallon; (light surface rust on metal and wire clamp). L #1606 Big, bold, whittled and beautiful. Fine condition. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company, Auction #189

Support Image: Whittled MAGIC STAR Pint, Aqua, All original including the 3-piece iron clamp assembly. The embossing is sharp, and the glass has a nice overall whittled effect. The correct glass lid has one tiny chip on the bottom edge. The jar is in excellent condition with no damage or stains at all. Good thick ground rim. Very scarce in Pint size. – Greg Spurgeon Antique Fruit Jars

Support Image: Black Amber MAGIC STAR FRUIT JAR Quart. A very dark amber-colored quart with fantastic glass character, very whittled and full of seed bubbles. Strong embossing and no damage or stains. Comes with its original exact matching black amber lid and the original iron 3-piece clamp assembly. The jar is not black glass, just very dark amber. We know of the existence of a couple of these jars, but have never seen one offered for sale. – Greg Spurgeon Antique Fruit Jars

Support Image: Yellow Amber MAGIC STAR FRUIT JAR. A striking yellow amber quart with strong embossing and in beautiful condition. Original amber glass lid is a rare perfect example, with no chips, which is very seldom found in these jars. Original iron 3-piece clamp in clean shape. The glass lid is one shade darker than the jar, but the contrast is not as much as it appears in the photo. Note that this jar, as with all Magic Star jars, has light scratching around the shoulder from the original manufacturing. A great looking colored jar. – Greg Spurgeon Antique Fruit Jars

Support Image: Yellow Amber MAGIC STAR Half Gallon. A choice example in a beautiful light color, which has a very subtle olive tone in some lighting. Sparkling glass, sharp embossing, and no damage or stains of any kind. Matching glass lid and original all-iron clamp, both in great shape. – Greg Spurgeon Antique Fruit Jars

Support: Reference to Fruit Jar Annual 2020 – The Guide to Collecting Fruit Jars by Jerome J. McCann

Support: Reference to Red Book #11, the Collector’s Guide to Old Fruit Jars by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr.

Read: Reference to The Dalbey Jar by Jeff Wichmann, Bottles and Extras, March-April 2008

Join the FOHBC: The Virtual Museum is a project of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC). To become a member.