Topic: Sulphide dome paperweight - man's head & shoulders - who is he?

[Anne E.B.]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/DSCF1444.jpg

Any ideas who the distinguished looking man is please?  Engraved across the back are the words "Still unconcquered."

There's lots of age related wear on the base around the edges, so this might be covered a maker's mark.  Any ideas who made it please?  I haven't a clue about paperweights :huh:

TIA

[Anne E.B.]

Who didn't pay attention in history class at school? :pb:

Duke of Wellington!  Just about spotted Wellington through all the little age related scratches around the base edge.  There also looks to be a printed number which I can't make out, and probably more writing which is obscured.  So, I've discovered who he is, but any ideas as to how old this paperweight is and who might have made it please? :kissy:  I'm guessing its English, if the patriotic words on the back are anything to go by :huh:

[johnphilip]

Bacchus is a possibility

[KevinH]

Anne, is the sulphide set very close to one "side" of the weight?

I am reasonably sure that this is a 19th centurry Scottish (!!) paperweight made at the John Ford, Holyrood Flint Glass Works. Information in Bob Hal's book Scottish Paperweights suggests this type of weight was made from around 1875.

[KevinH]

JP's suggestion of Bacchus is interesting but weights with sulphides are, as far as I know, not known from that company.

[tropdevin]

***

Agreed Kev - no known sulphides from Bacchus.  And very few if any from the Birmingham / Stourbridge area. I think John Ford or maybe one of the Yorkshire glass makers is far more likely.

(Poor old Bacchus - they are always getting fingered (wrongly) for unknown weights...)

Alan

[Anne E.B.]

Thanks so much folks for your quick responses.  :hiclp:

Kev - the sulphide is indeed very close to one side.   So much so, that if I hold it with the sulphide turned at 90 degrees, then I can't even see the sulphide, it "disappears" from view and I can only see the leaf swag.  Its a really strange p.w.  When I first spotted it in a display case, I was convinced that it had a flat side looking at it straight on and was surprised to find it was a dome shape when held.  I will have another look underneath tomorrow in good light to see if I missed any other markings, or can make out what I think might be numbers.  Its 2" high with almost a 2½" diameter base and weighs 380g.

[tropdevin]

***

The few John Ford sulphides I have seen have been somewhat bigger than that - but he may have made small ones too for all I know. 

Alan

[KevinH]

With a definite front-set sulphide, I am happy that it's a John Ford piece. Also, the "wreath" cutting matches some pictured in Bob Hall's book.

I agree with Alan that a 2 inch height seems smaller than usual [I have an example which is 2.5 inch height & diameter], but from the positioning of the sulphide and the cutting it looks to be original (i.e. not cut down).

[johnphilip]

I thought i had read sometime in the past about a Bacchus sulphide , but probably confused as usual , also the memory is past sell by date . :cry: :hi: