Topic: Uranium Cut Glass Cordial or Wine?

[Nazz]

Hello,
Can someone help me to identify the origin of this glass? What type, maker, circa, etc? Height is 14 cm, Bowl is 7.5 cm in diameter, and Foot is 7 cm in diameter. Weight is 154 grams. Trapped air teardrop in stem, and foot is cut in a 32 point star. Bowl fluoresces vivid green glow under UV light. Thank you.

[Paul S.]

hi  -  they're not clamouring to tell you it seems. -  mostly in my opinion because this I believe started life your side of the pond.      The multitude of notches on the arises of the stem and the substantial fan splits over diamonds are indications of States production first quarter of C20 , so would suggest you might do better asking collectors your side.
The cut pattern is just possibly something called 'strawberry diamonds and fan cut', rather obvious really, but if it's not then very close, and a design that goes back to the early part of the C20 with cutters such as Hawkes and the like  -  though it may have continued in use for much longer.             Uranium was in use commonly in a variety of countries until the 1940s, and in some places (do Fenton still use the stuff?) it's still added to the batch - though not in the U.K. now I don't think - but don't believe the u. is going to help with dating.             This might be a more recent copy, but an attractive glass.
We might call this a goblet - and a fairly substantial one at that - so we'd say for wine, though not sure exactly what type of drink you mean when you say cordial.
We're back to the usual problem with glass that's unmarked  -  unless we find the identical thing in a pattern book or catalogue, then attribution is guesswork at best.
Let's hope someone might recognize your glass.

[Nazz]

Hello Paul S.,

Thank you for your time, and information on my glass. It is indeed the Strawberry and Fan pattern. My passion is collecting cut glass whether it be European, or American Brilliant. I have been doing it for over ten years and have acquired quite a collection. I have many pieces from the high end cuttings houses, i.e., Hawke's, Clark, Fry, Dorflinger, Tuthill, etc. I'm sure that this piece was not cut by any of them. Anyway, I'm going to keep a positive attitude and hopefully receive more input on this piece. It is a quality piece. Again, thank you, I appreciate your time and effort very much.

Regards,
Nazz 

[Paul S.]

Hello Nazz -

You will know far better than us, but might it be worth considering the possibility of a Steuben/Corning origin?  -  they look to have been producing material a tad later (c. 1930) than some of the other ABP cutters, and drinking glasses appear to have been popular with then.           Glasses with coloured bowls appear in their repertoire perhaps more so than other houses, though I'm a tad unsure how accurate that comment might be.

As with much else in the world of decorative art, cut designs/patterns on glass can vary in their names/appearance depending where in the world we are  ............  historically, within Europe, strawberry diamonds were seen as a grid or cross hatch cutting on the table of a large relief diamond - hence the name strawberry diamond  -  but this looks to vary with early C20 States cutting whereby a large area of small relief diamonds - sometimes graduated - can give this same appearance of the skin of a strawberry.             I mention this only insofar as those of us interested in cutting benefit from being aware of such variations.

great glass by the way, and perhaps you might show some more of your ABP material some time in the future - it's not a material we get to see much of in the U.K.

[Nazz]

Hello Paul S.,

Again, thank you for your time, and input. But, I don't believe this is of Steuben or Corning origin. My reason being is that cut glass items were on a decline in the early 1900's. Competition from both here and abroad, very high labor costs, and imitation cut glass, (pressed glass made to look like it was cut), was a major factor in hastening the decline. Also, World War I was on the horizon, and the main ingredient, lead oxide was going to be needed for the war effort. At one time during the height of the American Brilliant Period, there were almost a thousand cutting shops, but by 1908-09, there were less than one hundred left. And they began closing at a rapid rate. After this period most cut glass pieces was mediocre.
I still think this may be late 1800's to early 1900's. And, I also lean toward it's origin being of English or French, but again, I could be totally mistaken. Also, some of the best cutters during the ABP did come from your side of the pond, and that influence was applied to their style of cutting here in the U.S.A.  Also, I will enjoy posting some of my cut glass in the very near future if that would be alright? Thank you.

Regards,
Nazz



 

[Lustrousstone]

I suspect not French and very possibly English. The measurements correspond well to inches: 5.5, 3 and 2.75. It's almost certainly for white wine. I have its cousin, though not quite as tall or as wide in the foot and with simpler cutting
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1421

[Nazz]

Hell Lustrousstone,

You have definitely  provided me with a picture that closely resembles what I have. I had searched the internet for hours, and did not find anything close  to yours. I will direct my search in a different direction. Thank you very much for your time, and the information.

Regards,
Nazz

[Paul S.]

To be truthful, my suggestion for a possible Steuben/Corning origin, was rather flying a kite, though I had thought their production was still going strong between 1925 - 1935, and they did make some very choice goblets with coloured bowls - some to die for!
As for the comparison of this piece with Christine's wine with uranium bowl  -  though the cutting is a similar pattern - on the whole the two glasses, in my opinion, are not in the same league.            In past years, though not for a while now, shortish uranium bowl wines with simple stem construction, were seen often at boot sales, and of all my glass I still have a dozen or more of such pieces, with a variety of decoration.         Christine's link doesn't provide a height for her glass, though most similar pieces, for white wine, are in the region of 4.75" - 5" - neither of course can we feel certain of the origin.

In the U.K., in the early years of the C20, factories such as S. & W. and T.W. knocked out some very ornate drinking glasses with coloured bowls, star cut feet and cut/engraved decoration to die for - though I'm unsure if 'strawberry diamonds and fan cut' was a decoration the U.K. produced much of, in these high end glasses.

But - speculation can be endless, and I'm sure Nazz and Christine know more about these things than me - my departing comment is simply that whilst this one may have come from one of several sources, I see no special reason why Nazz' glass shouldn't be a States piece, any more or less than the U.K.

Look forward to seeing some great ABP pieces in the future.

 

[Nazz]

Hello Paul S.,

You may be right in saying this could be from the U.S.A. Going through some glass books this afternoon, I came across a picture of a clear cut glass almost identical to mine. The author didn't know who cut it, but thought it was cut here. Anyway, I will continue to search for a possible origin. I enjoy the hunt.  Thank you for the help, and also for being so open minded on this subject. I will  post some ABP glass pieces for you soon.

Regards,
Nazz

[Lustrousstone]

The measurements for my glass are only fractionally different. The stem is simpler looking but is actually cut into a hexagon that blends into the bowl. I must count the star points