Author Topic: Black Amethyst Spill or Vase (Read 3719 times)

thomasandkatherine · « **on:** May 29, 2006, 06:43:47 AM »

Can anyone help with an ID and date for this small pressed glass spill or vase. It is oval shaped, footed and has a female cameo in lozenge one one side and a star or sun motif on the other. It stands around 9.5cm tall. I am sure I have seen the hand drawn app for registered design somewhere but cannot remember where, who it was registered for and what the date was. Any ideas amongst the experts out there???

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-2117

Tigerchips · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2006, 12:06:02 PM »

If I was to guess I would say Sowerby?

Perhaps someone with an early Sowerby catalogue will know?

josordoni · « **Reply #2 on:** May 29, 2006, 12:42:45 PM »

Has it got any marks?

Sowerby often have the peacock mark very obscured, right on the bottom or side of the INSIDE of the vase, not like other people who sensibly put the marks on the outside....

Sid · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2006, 12:02:04 AM »

Hello:

A very interesting piece. I would love to see the pattern on the reverse of this little posy. I think that the person shown is Queen Victoria. The design of this piece is definitely related to the posey showing Victoria and Albert in this auction :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6629377799

The ebay item is shown on page 19 of "Pressed Glass Commemoratives, A Collector's Companion" by Vivien Walker & Susan Biss. They indicate that it may have been from the Royal Wedding in 1840 or the 1851 Exhibition. Known in black, blue and turquoise. Further they suggest an American origin. This latter statement is almost certainly wrong as this has so many English design elements.

Sid

ChrisStewart · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2006, 07:41:33 AM »

Hi Sid,

Quote from: "Sid"

This latter statement is almost certainly wrong as this has so many English design elements.

What would you say were the English design elements in this posy?

Regards

Chris

Sid · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2006, 04:15:32 PM »

Chris:

Assuming we are talking about the ebay item, the main elements that scream English to me are:

- the rim - this of similar is found on several small creamers, sugars and poseys that come out of England

- the fact that it is known in black

- the patriotic flower symbols

As well, the posey itself is not an North American item.

Sid

ChrisStewart · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2006, 07:54:39 AM »

Hi Sid,

Interesting. I would have said none of those reasons except the patriotic flowers would be indicative of English manufacture. And if it were made for the English market then the patrioric flower are again not an indicator.

Regards

Chris

Sid · « **Reply #7 on:** June 03, 2006, 01:19:31 AM »

Chris:

Here are a number of pictures showing pieces that I think are related to the black posey that started this discussion and the blue example from ebay.

Three pieces of an ivy pattern in black. These are a creamer and sugar and a posey all quite small - the sugar basin is 3 3/8 inches tall. There is also a full size creamer and sugar and celery vase. Other colours available are blue, a greeny blue or teal and clear. These small examples show up on ebay.uk fairly freqently and in North American rarely. The glass is what North American call flint which means it contains lead. Note the rims on these pieces.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/sid.lethbridge/English_Ivy.jpg

Next, a full size celery vase and a little creamer with country scenes in an oval frame. These also show up on ebay.uk although less frequently. I have only seen clear. Again there are small and large versions of the creamer so I expect that there are matching sugars out there somewhere. Glass is flint (lead containing glass). Again note the rims on these pieces and compare to the poseys.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/sid.lethbridge/Celery.jpg
http://www3.sympatico.ca/sid.lethbridge/creamers.jpg

I am absolutely convinced that all of these examples are English in origin based on design, manufacturing characteristics, colour, where they show up etc. I also think that they are all from the same firm based on the design similarities and colours that they are known in.

Sid

Glen · « **Reply #8 on:** June 03, 2006, 07:47:01 AM »

I have the creamer and sugar in flint - I think we discussed these a while back here on the board, didn't we? Mine were found in Winchester many years ago. The designs on the panels are fascinating and (imho) they are very similar to several Carnival Glass designs (inspirations maybe?)

Glen

ChrisStewart · « **Reply #9 on:** June 03, 2006, 08:50:37 AM »

Hi Sid,

The celery I do not believe to be English. The style does not match any known English celeries I have encounted. Perhaps the windmill also a clue. The only example of pressed glass I know which has a windmill is a small Davidson can. That does not lead me to think all glass with windmills is likely toe be English.

I think generalisations arfe very dangerous and misleading. For example I could make the generalisation that all pressed glass with the rough background effect as in the ebay item are continental. The reason I could make this generalisation is I have been looking through Pressedglass-korresondze recently and that effect comes up time and time again on continental pressed glass.

I remember in the early days of collecting cloud glass the received wisdom was if it is cloud glass it must be Davidson. Not true.

Regards

Chris