Topic: is this a sowerby drape?

[geordieja]

hi there,

i am trying to do some research into what would appear to be a pair of sowerby drape vase identical to the ones shown on this website http://www.glass.co.nz/Engcarnival.html page.

the two i have inherited are appear identical to the right hand one in the image which shows a flared top.

i inherited them from my mother whos father used to work at davidsons glass in gateshead (ne england) in the 1930's.

i have so far found little informationa out about them on the internet with the exception of this page http://www.ddoty.com/sowerbydrape.html.

because of this i am wondering about insurance. any information you could provide me with would be greatly appreciated.

the two vase are in very good condition with no cracks or chips. there does not appear to be any markings on them that i can find although there is a pattern underneath the base where the hollow occurs.

i could possibly supply some photos if this would help.

thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide or any other links that may be useful.

photos links

small images (250k)

http://i3.tinypic.com/vxi8ie.jpg
http://i3.tinypic.com/vxisyt.jpg
http://i3.tinypic.com/vxit0w.jpg
http://i3.tinypic.com/vxit6b.jpg

full size images

http://rapidshare.de/files/18382693/DSCF0007.JPG
http://rapidshare.de/files/18382708/DSCF0006.JPG
http://rapidshare.de/files/18382720/DSCF0004.JPG
http://rapidshare.de/files/18382732/DSCF0003.JPG

Mod: all OP images gone

[Glen]

The two vases in the photo in the feature about English Carnival Glass are mine. And yes, that is Sowerby Drape (which is what this Sowerby vase is known as to Carnival Glass collectors). The Sowerby number for the vase is 2437.

I haven't posted anything on the web about these vases (other than in the article you have seen) as I (with my husband, Steve) have written about them in "A Century of Carnival Glass" and also on our Sowerby CD Volume Two.

I don't like giving values, as they can vary so much. The auction prices Dave shows are useful guides. I can tell you that the vase is very scarce indeed in Carnival, and is always sought after.

You say you are trying to do research on these. I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. Are you looking for more information?

Glen

[Anne]

You don't specifically say whether or not your vases are Carnival? Sowerby made them in both Carnival and non-Carnival (I have a satin-pink non-Carni version), but as I said above, pics would be useful.

If you get stuck with posting pics either ask for help or e-mail me the pics and I'll upload to GlassGallery for you, if you prefer (see e-mail button below).

[geordieja]

yes i am looking for more information (or to be more precise my wife is) about the origin and maker of the vases.

as i said i have tried looking up davidson glass (from my grandfathers link) and sowerby glass but essentially all the info i can find is in the two links posted above.

seems to be limited information on the internet about these vase.

will try to upload some pics tonight and edit the original post.

me personally (being a greedy man) is more interested in what they might be worth and hence if they are valuable waht insurance i might need.

[Glen]

The vase was made by Sowerby. The pattern number of the vase is 2437.

Bottom line on the value - if your vases are Carnival Glass, then they are valuable. If they are not Carnival then they are not worth as much.

It's impossible to put an absolute price on an item like this in Carnival. As I said, they are scarce and sought after. In the right auction, in the right place at the right time, they could sell very well. Another time - another place - it could be a different story. The two auction figures that Dave quotes are good guides for the value.

But note that things like excellent iridescence (I am assuming they are Carnival - if they're not then forget big dollar prices) and perfect condition will be very important.

There is plenty of information within the Carnival collectors circles about these vases - but I don't know what more I can give you than I have already said.

And of course, re. Anne's wise comments earlier, your vases may not be Carnival. When you post your pics then we'll all know for certain.

Glen

[geordieja]

photo links added so may help identify

regards

[Glen]

Super photos - many thanks. I can't see the full sized images on the rapid share pages, but maybe that's just me. Anyhow the ones on tinypics are very clear and you most certainly have two lovely Sowerby Drape vases in black amethyst Carnival Glass.

The iridescence looks lovely and the vases are magnificent, and as I noted yesterday, sought after.

I'm honestly not sure what more info I can give you. They were probably made circa the late 1920s, in Carnival. The vase was made in other colours (not Carnival) such as the matted satin pink Anne mentioned. In Carnival they are only known in the 10" (as yours is) and have two top shapes (as you saw in my article). They are known by most Carnival collectors as Sowerby Drape. They are sought-after and hard to find. Value is a movable feast - depending on where, when and how you choose to sell. The two auction prices Dave quotes are representative. I can also tell you one sold in the UK earlier this year at a public auction for £260.

Truly beautiful vases.

Glen

[geordieja]

many thanks for your help
will pass the info on to the missus and she can start looking up sowerby
glassware. may be useful in finding a link between davidson and sowerby
as i said in my original post that my grandfather got them while working at davidsons.

much appreciated all the help from the board.

[Glen]

There were lots of links between the two glass houses (there are certainly glass workers who did "time" at both) but there is no evidence to show that Davidson made Carnival Glass.

Maybe your grandfather liked iridised glass and couldn't get it from the place he worked!

Do you have any stories about your grandfather's experiences at Davidson that you could share with us all?

Glen

[geordieja]

wiill check with the folks to see what i can find out