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Author Topic: Glitterati Advice needed -Stunning Burtles & Tate Elephant Posy - advice needed!  (Read 5170 times)

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Offline Antoinette

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Hi

I have made a rash bid on a beautifully crafted Burtles and Tate elephant Posy in "sunrise/opalescent glass"

I remedially checked the millers guide which said £2-3k as it's pretty rare as to manufacture would be very difficult..

It was in the auction at £1,450 and put in a cheeky winning bid of £1,000 and "amazingly" won!!!

Eeek!!! It was the Manchester connection that I went "soft in the head" on...

Would £1k be a good price to buy at??

Many thanks friends!!
Antoinette
 :ooh:




You only live once - be happy :0)

Offline Paul S.

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hello Antoinette  -  congratulations, and lucky you :)
I don't think the lack of response to your post is in any way one of indifference  -  quite the opposite, in fact, and I dare say you have so gob-smacked us all with the knowledge that there are members here who can throw a grand at a piece of pressed glass that we are lost for words.
I believe that the correct colour description for the Burtles & Tate piece is 'rose opalescent - possibly because the appearance is very similar to a mineral that goes under the name of rose quartz - but that is only my personal assumption.
I have seen an example at Cambridge some year or so back - but can't from memory recall whether the piece carries the Rg. No. 64234 (1886) or not - for that sort of money I think I'd want to see the No. very clearly ;D
I didn't see this auction - was it a recent one - so have no knowledge of how the bidding went, but would surmise that the difference between the figures that you quote are indicative of the current market levels, and illustrate perhaps how values for some of the top end pieces of pressed glass have weakened over the past year or two.

As you will be aware from your time on the GMB, members tend not to discuss values  -  not from a sense of avoiding such vulgarities - but because the worth of anything is very subjective, and relies on so many factors, that a fixed value would be meaningless, generally.

If you want something badly, and you have the dosh, then many would argue that you should pay whatever is required to make the piece yours (and I would agree) - whether it be one thousand or three thousand.     To miss out on this elephant, might mean you never get to own one, and possession is everything.      On the other hand, it does depend on having that sort of money available for investment in the first place.
Had I the spare grand, then yes I would also have bought it  -  I think it is one of the iconic pieces of late C19 pressed glass - and I guess there aren't too many left out there, so my opinion - for what it's worth - is that you have made a good long term investment.
I understand that the elephant was alos produced in other opalescent colours, although in view of the compexity of the mould, there were, I beleive, quite a lot of unsuccessful pressings.

Ref.   Popular Glass of the 19th & 20th Centuries - A Collectors Guide  -  Miller's  -  Raymond Notley  -  2000

Offline Antoinette

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Hi
I was soooooo swept away by how delicate he was and a stunningly beautiful in mouldings and colour together with my wider reading of Burtles & Tate history being based in my hometown of Manchester to realising that the Glassworks was in 1886 located on Poland Street, Manchester - just behind where my Dad worked at the Manchester Evening News!!

"Berlington Bertie" (as I've now named him) was bought off a lovely reputable e-bay trader - which led back to an Antiques website.  He was advertised at £1,450 and thought: I'll go up to £1k but NO MORE!

I was pretty amazed 24 hours later getting the agreed bid!!!

I know Millers quotes value between £2-3k

He's adorable.. Usual issues with the feet slightly chipped coming out of the mould but you have to feel for the chips and not noticeable. And as you correctly say: he's worth what you are prepared to pay for - and hope as you say it's an investment for the future!!

He's the rarest piece in my collection of otherwise beautiful but common Walther and Sowerby collections!!

:0)
Antoinette
 :ooh:
You only live once - be happy :0)

Offline Antoinette

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Hi Paul

clearly got the Regstration Mark you mentioned:
Bertie_Reg_64234

See attached pics:
 :ooh:
You only live once - be happy :0)

Offline Leni

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Congratulations, Antoinete!  He's beautiful!   :hiclp:  :thup:
Leni

Offline Paul S.

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hello again :hi:  -  thanks for posting the pictures Antoinette, I think you have made all of us very  :mrgreen:  -  and might there be other pieces from your collection that we would like to see??     Love to hear about the sort of pieces you prefer to collect.          I agree with you  -  there is so much more history in some of these beautiful pieces of C19 pressed glass  -  much more interesting than modern art glass :) 
However, surprised to hear that your Dad was working for the Evening News in 1886 ;)

Offline flying free

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He's gorgeous  :sun: I can absolutely see the attraction and I don't collect pressed glass.
m

Offline Antoinette

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Ha ha ha Paul!
My Dad would be REALLY pleased with me for that one!!!
No only from the 50s to 80s - the actual building he worked in on Ancoats Street housed the Daily Express he informs me when he worked extra Sat/Sun.. The MEN was located with The Guardian - where he also used to work as an Editorial Assistsnt on Deansgate.

But he did recall the glassworks still being there.. I understand it passed from Burtles Tate to Butterworth Bos when the company went into liquidation in 1924 and then taken over by Butterworth Bros

He's not a lover of glass like me but appreciates old and antique items and was interested in some of the history!!

Thanks Lenni - yes I am totally delighted!!! Thankyou!!!

Really Paul the rest of my collection totally ordinary.. Nigel is my idol for Tge extensiveness of his collection and Lennis Schmetterling Menagerie puts my meager collection to shame

My latest Paleamon piece was a delight - but unless I win the lottery this weekend Berlington Bertie is probably likely to remain my delightful most precious and valued piece!!

You only live once - be happy :0)

Offline Anne

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Antoinette, he is just gorgeous!!!  :mrgreen: Congrats!  :hiclp:
Cheers! Anne, da tekniqual wizzerd
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Offline Antoinette

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Awww thankQ Anne

I am so proud of BB!!!
Aka: Berlington Bertie
(even if I reduced to Beans on toast for the next Month!!)

I've been really interested in the History of glass in Manchester since buying him and hope to go to Manchester Library over half term to see if I can find some old photographs of the Ancoats area (which was very poor) in the 1880's.. Cotton mills and glass factories

It's mostly now converted to modern offices and apartments..
It would be fab to set back in time to see The furnaces and the foremen and directors agreeing to quality assure or disprove batches...
Xxxxxxx
You only live once - be happy :0)

 

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