Topic: Arculus I believe

[Nick77]

I'm pretty sure this is an Arculus ink bottle with a white rabbit in the stopper and the bottle base?

Nick

[tropdevin]

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Hi Nick.

I agree it is Arculus or Walsh Walsh - the latter took over the Arculus factory in 1930 and kept it running.  There appears to be a slight difference in the glass recipe that was used at the two factories, as the 50 or so specific gravity measurements that I have made of Arculus and Walsh Walsh items fall into two close but distinct groups.

The chequer weights (which I have understood are Arculus factory pieces, made before 1930) all fall into the higher SG group, which covers pieces with a range of SG from 3.16 to 3.21; similar looking pieces - presumably from the Walsh Walsh factory - form a group with a range between 3.08 and 3.12.

I have a chequer weight with 6 large rabbits (SG 3.170), a chequer with a central rabbit (SG 3.190), a neat concentric with a large rabbit I would have thought was a later Walsh Walsh piece from the quality (SG 3.192) and a bottle stopper with a ring of 13 rabbits (SG 3.21).  All fall into the higher SG group, so I suspect the rabbit cane was used at the Arculus factory rather than at both.  As for whether pieces are pre or post 1930, that is very hard to say.

Alan

[Nick77]

Thanks Alan, I'd not seen a rabbit in an ink bottle before but had seen paperweight images so was sure it was Arculus/Walsh Walsh.

It's in amazing condition, I'm sure it's pretty much spent most or all of its life in a display cabinet, it was part of a very large glass collection with everything from 18th century wine glasses, to early venetian scent bottles, Bohemian glass, Lalique etc.

 I was hoping to bid on a Baccarat wine glass engraved with vines and with milllefiori canes inset into the glass, estimate £80-£120 but it made £1100!

I've not got around to setting up a jig to measure SG but must do so,is there a published chart somewhere of SG readings for different makers?

Nick

[tropdevin]

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Hi Nick.

There is not much SG information in the public domain.  I put a chart with information on a range of Old English makers into an article I wrote in The 2007 PCA Bulletin.  George Kulles published a table for a range of antique paperweights in his 1987 book on Identifying Antique paperweights - Lampwork, but I think there are doubts over the attribution of a number of these pieces (not least by George himself!).

In general terms, lead glass that was 'full lead crystal' had at least 24% lead oxide in the batch, which gives an SG of around 2.85 (it is not possible to be precise, because it depends what else goes into the batch besides sand), and most antique lead glass paperweights I have measured have been 2.90 or higher.  I believe that some antique makers used 33% or more lead oxide for general crystal glass, giving an SG as high as 3.45.   Most non-lead based glasses (Murano, China, Caithness, Ysart, Perthshire, Deacons etc etc) are in the 2.45 to 2.60 range.

I'll see if I can put my current Old English results chart on line somehow.  It is not secret - just a rather large unweildy thing in its present form.

Alan

[Nick77]

Hi Alan,

Many thanks

Nick

[tropdevin]

Hi Nick

If you go to my website, then take the link part way down the home page to Old English paperweights, you will now find half way down the latter page (just above Bacchus and Islington) a link to my Specific Gravity measurements.  I think the image is just about readable.

Alan

[Nick77]

Thanks Alan

Nick