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Author Topic: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase? Answer = Yes  (Read 5905 times)

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Offline Bernard C

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Re: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase? Answer = Yes
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2011, 06:42:46 PM »
Cathy β€” Agreed β€” tricky to find this information about unmarked glass if you didn't know what search argument to use, so apologies to you and JAK for being a little sharp!

The three I gave are the only examples I know and are all British.   Do you know of any American examples?   Does anyone know of examples elsewhere in the world?

Note that I am only considering here mainstream glassworks that usually marked their glass quite deliberately as an extra process, usually by acid-etching, sandblasting, or engraving.

Bernard C.  8)
Happy New Year to All Glass Makers, Historians, Dealers, and Collectors

Text and Images Copyright © 2004–15 Bernard Cavalot

Offline chopin-liszt

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Re: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase? Answer = Yes
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2011, 07:00:33 PM »
With a lot of early Mdina it was simply a matter of whether or not somebody was available and had time to put a mark on or not - the same criteria apply to whether or not bases were finely, or more crudely finished off.
Cheers, Sue M. (she/her)

‘For every problem there is a solution: neat, plausible and wrong’. H.L.Mencken

Offline albglass

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Re: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase? Answer = Yes
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2011, 09:24:49 PM »
I can't think of a comparable example for American glass.  If anything, the reverse would be more likely.  For instance, Pairpoint usually did not mark their glass unless it was requested by the customer.  I can't think of any American examples where a company usually marked their glass and was requested by the distributer to leave it unmarked.  There are also instances where a request was made to mark the glass differently, such as Loetz having to mark their cameo glass with a French name for their clients in France, or Libochovice glass leaving off their name and using a registry number for the British market.  And many examples from Italy and Bohemia where a glassmarker who never marked their glass would be selling to an importer who added their mark.  This Royal Brierley vase is the first piece I've owned where it would normally be signed, but is unsigned at a dealer's request.  Learning something new every day!!

Offline Bernard C

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Re: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase? Answer = Yes
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2011, 02:23:35 PM »
I can't think of a comparable example for American glass.   ...

Cathy β€” We've found one.   See the Repeal Glass discussed in topic Bimini style stem, any thoughts on maker? ID = Swingewood for Stevens & Williams.

The company was Arthur S. Vernay, Inc. and Vernay & Jussel of New York, NY.   Particularly note the text:

  • The London purchase sheets list goods purchased in England by the firm. Their prices are in code and the vendor from whom they were purchased is not given; however, the pieces are described and their date of manufacture is noted.

  • Note that direct evidence is very rare.   You have to figure it out from circumstantial evidence.   I think this is good enough to make Vernay the first example in the USA.

    Bernard C.  8)
    Happy New Year to All Glass Makers, Historians, Dealers, and Collectors

    Text and Images Copyright © 2004–15 Bernard Cavalot

    Offline albglass

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    Re: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase? Answer = Yes
    « Reply #14 on: October 27, 2011, 03:16:28 AM »
    Great detective work, Bernard!

    Offline Bernard C

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    Re: Is this an unsigned Royal Brierley vase?
    « Reply #15 on: October 27, 2011, 02:43:02 PM »
    ...   The usual reason in respect of the main glassworks that usually marked glass was not that the piece was a second but that it was part of an order from one of the trade buyers that didn't want their glass signed, of which there were quite a large number.   Examples include John Lewis until quite recently, Liberty & Co.,  and Marks & Spencer.   ...

    Cathy β€” Thanks for your kind words.   Note that I've changed my definition as I hadn't considered aspects such as American legislation requiring indication of the country of origin.   So I've tightened it to the more specific "trade buyers that didn't want their clients to be able to identify the manufacturer".

    I hope that's an improvement in clarity.

    Bernard C.  8)
    Happy New Year to All Glass Makers, Historians, Dealers, and Collectors

    Text and Images Copyright © 2004–15 Bernard Cavalot

     

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