Topic: Jobling Opalescent Glass Mouse Ashtray

[mhgcgolfclub]

Jobling opalescent glass mouse ashtray which I think is quite rare.

Over the years the glue must have dried up and the mouse has been glued back on but with a glue than has turned yellow.

My only concern is that the mouse is correct and not a replacement, as the one shown in the Jobling Art Glass A collectors guide is different and to be honset looks more like a Kangaroo at least the one on mine looks like a mouse . It may be a case of the one in the publication just being an illustration and not quite like the actual item.

I have had a good look on the web and cannot find another one to compare it to.
Ther ashtray is marked REGN APPLIED FOR

Roy

[Mosquito]

While I can't give you a definitive answer (not having owned nor photographed a Jobling mouse  ) I strongly suspect it is original as the catalogue illustrations for this series of small figures are not particularly exact.

I do have examples of both the kingfisher and parrot motifs and both differ quite a bit from the illustrations (the kingfisher is drawn with the point of the beak and the leaves round the base standing proud of the body which they don't on the actual figure; likewise the parrot illustration shows it with a raised crest which is much smaller in reality).

The mouse is also the right size, colour and finish so I feel you have nothing to worry about. Hopefully someone else will be able to confirm soon.

Great item by the way 

[Paul S.]

great find Roy, well spotted  -  and good pix by the way.

I notice that Charles Hajdamach omits this item from the Jobling pieces in his book, as does Roger Dodsworth in his 'British Glass between the wars'.        Sheilagh Murray appears also to have been unable to source a picture of this item, so looks like you're right about it being scarce.

In view of your comments about the lettering on this ashtray, it would seem that this design was put into production prior to the factory being allocated a Board of Trade Rd. No., although as can be seen in Baker & Crowe, a number was provided PRESUMABLY after production had commenced.     
It would be reasonable to assume therefore that either......your piece is an early item and later mice were provided with the Rd. No., OR PERHAPS, the moulds were never changed to incorporate No. 796187  ??     Might Stephen have thoughts on this??                

Hope that Stephen and yourself you won't object to me adding the Registration details which may prove to be useful re the Boards search archive.....

Registration No. 796187 - dated 6th September 1934 (expired 06.09.1939)  -   Jobling Cat. No. 10510
Like a number of other models from this factory, the original plaster design for the mouse ashtray is credited as having been made by Franckhauser. 

[Paul S.]

Steven, my sincere apologies for misspelling your name

Wasn't quite sure why this was in 'Glass' ??

[mhgcgolfclub]

Thanks Steven and Paul for you input.

Roy

[Paul S.]

as a final comment re the discussion on the shape of this mouse design, I've now had a look at the image submitted by Jobling to the  Board of Trade, and it was in fact a fully finished 'Opalique' example - in other words looking exactly like the item as retailed, and shown above by Roy.

Steven has already mentioned the variation in shape between the factory photos, and the final retails models for both the parrot and kingfisher.       Oddly, it seems that out of the four ash tray motifs the only model that didn't suffer this 'tidying up' was the fish.           Looking at the Kew image, which again is a fully finished 'Opalique' piece, it looks to be very similar to the publicity pic in Baker and Crowe.      I wonder how many have survived with their tail intact?

[mhgcgolfclub]

Paul

A few years ago I sold a fish ashtray , on packing it slipped onto the floor and smashed the tail, so that's one that did not survive.

Roy

[Paul S.]

sorry to hear your tail of woe Roy