That sounds like a fun find—estate sale mystery pieces are the best 😊
From your description of a “spiked glass lump,” a few common possibilities come to mind:
🟢 Likely possibilities
1. Decorative art glass (paperweight or sculpture)
Many glassmakers create spiky or “controlled bubble” designs that look like abstract lumps with points or bumps. These are often:
- Hand-blown
- Solid and heavy
- Meant purely for decoration
2. Glass flower frog (less likely but possible)
A flower frog is used in vases to hold stems in place. Some older or artistic versions:
- Have spikes or bumps to grip stems
- Sit inside a bowl or vase
3. Mid-century modern art glass piece
Designs from the 1950s–70s sometimes feature:
- Irregular shapes
- “Lava” or “spiked” textures
- Bold, sculptural forms
4. Slag glass or melted glass object
Sometimes glass looks like a “lump” because it was:
- Melted intentionally for art
- Or repurposed from leftover glass
🔍 How to identify it better
Check these details:
- Weight: heavy = likely solid art glass
- Bottom: flat, polished base? (display piece)
- Clarity/color: clear, colored, or swirled
- Sharp vs rounded spikes: sharp = decorative, rounded = functional
📸 If you can…
If you upload a picture, I can identify it much more precisely—possibly even the style or maker 👍
