Topic: Frosted/satin glass stopper in Stevens & Williams book The Crystal Years

[flying free]

As is always the way, when I have a choice of buying something perfect, beautiful, but the same colour as something I already have, or something damaged, interesting, satin glass, then obviously I buy the damaged item 
Can't show it as it hasn't arrived yet but in the book The Crystal Years on page 51, it shows an enamelled Stevens and Williams decanter with a hunt scene on it and for the stopper, a frosted clear satin glass fox's head.  I don't believe this is original to the decanter as I've seen that decanter with what I believe to be it's correct stopper.
So where did the fox's head stopper originate?  where was it made and if it's not Stevens and Williams why was it appropriate to include it in the picture in the book?

This is a similar one in blue frosted glass where the face (but not the neck/bottom of the face) appears to be the same mold as far as can be seen although admittedly difficult to tell.  I believe this one is different on the bottom of the face/neck because it wasn't a stopper originally, where the one in the book I think was made as a stopper.
http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/east-bristol-auctions/catalogue-id-2884956/lot-18618294

I have done much searching on this, and ummed and aahed about buying the piece I've bought for weeks, and finally caved in - it was just one of 'those' pieces for me 

Any help much appreciated

m

[flying free]

The decanter or one the same design is shown on page 115 of CH's 20th Century British Glass with it's correct stopper (not the one in The Crystal Years).
m

[orangeglass]

Is the saleroom one the same as this  - completed listings on ebay - Unusual Vintage Glass Stirrup Cup with Frosted Glass Fox’s Head

Roberta

[flying free]

no but that's what I think it was

[flying free]

oh sorry, I see what you mean no it's not the same piece, but yes I believe they are  from the same mold.  I misread what you wrote
m

[flying free]

He has arrived.
The first picture is the best I could get on the angle as a comparison to the stopper in The Crystal Years.  I believe they are from the same mold design.  The stopper is made as a stopper (and appears to be complete with stopper bottom etc in the book) and this is made to attach to the stirrup cup which is why I think there is a slight difference in the bottom of the face and the neck - i.e. the stopper is more squat, whereas the neck on my fox is a bit more elongated.  In all other respects I believe they are the same.

It's a curious piece.  Rings like a bell, the glass of the cup is fine, fairly thin and I don't believe new, I think old but not ancient lol.  The fox is massively heavy and solid. He weighs 400grams or just under 1lb and the fox head is only 2 1/4" by 3"by 2" - the whole piece is 6" high.
 He has hair texture but also has some curious grinding on the top of his head and shaping the ears, I believe original finishing and I think it's the same on the stopper in the book.  The finish is iridescent satin finish.  He must have been poured into a mold? There are faint mold lines (about 6 or so) and the mold looks as though it was complex to me.  But I know nothing
The curious grinding/polishing on the top of the head looks kind of as though a pontil rod has been removed but I don't think it can be.  Can it be where it was difficult to remove from the mold, and the same on the stopper then? It also has an odd  'L' mark next to that grinding patch,no other mark like this on it at all.  The ears also have this finish on them as though to shape them although you can see faint mold lines.

He has an iridescent type finish but his eyes are polished shiny - I think the ones in the book are as well.
The ring around his neck is also iridescent finish but clear glass.  The cup is attached to this and then the head is attached at the other side iyswim?

Any thoughts?  Could it be Stevens and Williams?  the one in the book is clear satin glass, this one is what I would call sapphire blue or sky blue maybe?
m

[flying free]

pics

[flying free]

sorry battery dead - the rim is firepolished.
I can feel in the bottom of the cup that it indents into the cup slightly where the fox has been attached and pushed the glass in.  It's completely smooth though.
I'm just wondering whether it's possible it was gathered on a pontil rod and then dipped into a mold? might that account for what looks like a pontil mark finish on the top of the head?  and then for it to be finished off it was ground in that way to replicate the texture on the mold then iridised over the top of the whole thing and neck ring/merese once it was joined to the cup? 
Is this the kind of technique that would have been done at S&W?

btw this one that I linked to earlier was also, I think,  a stirrup cup not a stopper.
http://lot-images.atgmedia.com/SR/36355/2884956/813-201375204843_468x382.jpg
m

[glassobsessed]

Great snout!

[flying free]

Thanks    yes, he's rather gorgeous.