Topic: Black base what's it for? - ID = Century Glass Works

[mrs vulture]

Hello, I found this small black base at the car boot, I always buy black bases for my vases whenever I find them going cheap. At first I thought this was a small vase base but it can't be because it has a lump raised in the centre and what appears to be a screw thread inside. Underneath it has the reg no. 881198. Its 4 inches across the bottom and nearly two inches tall. All I can think of is a lamp base but can't think its big enough or how it would work. Anyone know what it comes from please because its really bugging me now!!!     Cheryl

[Paul S.]

Hello Cheryl  -  it has an almost deco look with those stepped sides, but that Rd. No. is way beyond the end of the British Blue Book Nos.  -  they finish in August 1945 at No. 844274.          It's just possible this may have a Continental origin   -  but regret I can add nothing really useful.

[chriscooper]

The quick checklist on http://www.great-glass.co.uk/glass%20notes/regnos.htm#TOP says between 1950 - 1960

Guess around 1957 ?

Chris

[mrs vulture]

Now thats a useful site to remember for checking dates, it is very deco in shape so it appears earlier in date   ??   Cheryl

[claireym]

Hi I can tell you exactly what t that glass base is used for. It's for a snow globe. I bought a vintage snow globe from ebay the other day and when it arrived it had a glass base with the number on the base. I put it into the net out of curiosity and saw your post which I know was a long time ago but you may still use the forum. 

[chopin-liszt]

  Thank-you for taking the time and effort to join to answer this query.
It's very kind of you indeed.
I'm sure the OP will see it.
Are you interested in glass yourself?
Do, please hang around and join in the chatter. 

[Paul S.]

can't promise, but I'll try to include this No. when I visit Kew next week  -  at least we might see the name of the manufacturer.

[Anne]

I've added it to the look up topic Paul, along with the Bailey lookups.

[mrs vulture]

Wow I posted that years ago, thank you for answering my query, I would not have guessed a snow globe. 😁😁

[Paul S.]

I now have the Kew pix for Reg. 881198 - plus some others - and hope to post all of them over the next 48 hours.               But, in the meantime, and if Claire is still looking, will she tell us please if her clear glass/plastic 'snow globe' is in some way threaded.           I'm asking this as the black base carries a very simple form of thread, and so we have to assume that whatever was intended originally to sit atop the base also carried a matching thread.
The Kew Registration data for this item indicates that the base might be suitable for several items, but none of these is for a 'snow globe' - although that's not to say categoricaly the Registrant didn't subsequently invent a globe for the base.            My opinion would be that if the globe isn't threaded then it's unlikely to be part of the original design.