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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: BSevern on June 23, 2006, 08:52:58 PM

Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: BSevern on June 23, 2006, 08:52:58 PM
Greetings,

I recently acquired this piece for my collection:

Mod: Links removed as content changed to inappropriate site

I've yet to find another Northwood pull-up piece like this, although I did find a reference to a zigzag NW PU vase in the Hajdamach British Glass book, unfortunately there's no photo.

Anyone seen one of these? It looks like the zigzag pattern is blown out, and possibly an air-trap pattern.

Here's further descriptive info on the piece:


The pulled and feathered threading is a peach color, over a layer of white opaque glass, which in turn is layered over chiffon yellow opaque glass (about the same color as this page background), then another layer of white opaque glass, and finally a layer of chiffon yellow translucent glass (four layers total).

The bowl appears to have been initially blown out into a mold to form the unusual zigzag pattern, then given the box-pleated rim, and then given the threading treatment with Mr. Northwood's pull-up threading machine. A lot of complex work went into this bowl.

The bowl measures 5" tall and 6" in diameter.

Thanks,
Brian
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: KevinH on June 23, 2006, 10:31:52 PM
Hi Brian,

I can't say whether this is a Northwood piece as I have almost no experience of viewing or handling items like this. What I can say is that I think it's a wonderful piece of work.

From the photos, I don't think there is any "air-trap" involved as that would impply a coating of clear over the patterned ribbing to enclose the design. Instead. the main image shows that the surface is undulated which is consistent with it having no outer covering.

But I am puzzled by how the trailing and pull-ups were actually achieved. At first I thought there were very fine vertical threads which had been pulled into the zig-zag pattern, but if that was true, how the heck did they apply all those threads vertically? I then thought the threads must have been applied horizontally (which makes more sense to me) and were then combed vertically before finally being pulled into the zig-zags.

But then I noticed something else ... to the right of centre of the main photo it clear that the zig-zag pulling is not at the point of the up-and-down pulling (seen as the the main vertical wavy bits). And the same effect then became obvious to the left of the photo. This suggests to me that there really was a first up-and-down combing of horizontal threads and a later zig-zag pulling but with fewer "points" of pulling than there were for combing.

Fascinating stuff - well, for me it is. :)

Sorry I can't be of any help on the maker, but I would certainly like to have a piece like that in my collection (even if the colouring is not in keeping with my usual taste).
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: BSevern on June 24, 2006, 02:19:49 AM
Hi KevH,

My apologies, my topic title is misleading.  There's no question it's a Stevens & Williams John Northwood pull-up piece.  I'm interested to see if I could find more info on this zig-zag design - is it air-trap, rarity, maybe even value?

I suspect it may be something special, or more on the unique/rare side as I've never seen a pull-up piece with this zig-zag design.  I'm not sure if it's an air-trap design either.  According to the Hajdamach book, the zig-zag effect was the result of being blown out into a mold.

It's interesting because it has four layers of glass, in addition to the threading.  Why I'm not positive, but you can count the different layers and colors of glass from the pontil.  

The pull-ups were done on a machine that John Northwood invented and patented in 1885.  It could manipulate applied glass threading into various designs such as the so called pull-up and Orisis.  The rim was also crimped in a machine that Mr. Northwood invented.  There's a lot of various technical feats on this piece.

Thanks for taking a look, it's quite an interesting piece of work in my opinion.

Brian
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: KevinH on June 24, 2006, 04:12:48 AM
Hi Brian,

Thanks for the confirmation on those points.

In my comments I had said that there was no air-trap because the outer surface was not covered, trapping the zigzag design. This seemed relevant because I have heard in the past of moulded (diamond) patterned items being incorrectly described as “air-trap”, even by Bonham’s auction house!

I can accept that a near-final process for your bowl was the forming of the zigzag outer design in a mould, which would fit with the visual evidence.

Perhaps it is the pull-ups that you think may have had air-trap applied? That could be possible, but I suspect it is not so. My reason for saying this is that I have a pair of vases which do have an air-trap pattern (and it happens to be a zigzag [herring-bone], too). These show a distinct feature linked with an air-trap design. One vase is shown here:
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-2389

And the detail is:
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-2388

My vases (which, so far, are attributed only as "Stourbridge") are nowhere near as nice as your bowl, but they do show a "shiny" effect of the trapped air at the edges of the pattern. In your piece, there seems to be no "shiny" parts at all, just very nice (and flat) two-tone pulls.

But I would like to see a photo of the base of the bowl if possible. It might make me change my mind.

Also, could you please let me know the page of Hajdamach’s book where you found the reference to a Northwood zigzag pull-up. I know the section on air-trap technique, but cannot find the zigzag reference.

I think it would be a good idea to get an opinion on it from Broadfield House Glass Museum (contact can be made through their website). They ought to be able to comment on the rarity and other points of interest.

I suspect that a value would only be found by contact with a main auction house that handles top-quality glassware. And I suspect it’s likely that the American auction rooms will be the best place since, in my opinion, most of the really good British 19th century glass was shipped out there.
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: BSevern on June 24, 2006, 07:48:37 AM
Hi KevH,

Pieces like your air-trap vases, or what we call mother of pearl/MOP in the states can be challenging to attribute as a lot of glass houses in the U.K., U.S., and Bohemia made it.  Most isn't signed, and unless there's a characteristic that's unique to a specific glass maker, it's can be anyone's guess.

I found the reference to the zig-zag pattern on page 282 at the end of the discussion of the pull-up decoration that starts on page 279.  Apparently there is a vase in the Michael Parkington collection with this same zig-zag pattern, unfortunately they don't show a photo.   

Looking at this further I think I can rule out air-trap, which I was thinking was part of the zig-zag composition, more in the sense that their hollow, not so much as a pattern/decoration as in your air-trap vases.

Here's a picture of the base/pontil:

Mod: Link removed as content changed to inappropriate site


Thanks for your suggestion to contract the Broadfield House Glass Museum, I'll write them and see if they have any further information.

Thank you,
Brian
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: Dil on June 24, 2006, 02:56:45 PM
Hi Brian,

Yet another very nice bowl. Yes you are correct it is Stevens & Williams. It is listed in the Pattern Book 11 as "Maze Vandyke". Pattern number 12622 dated June 1887. (I ought to charge for this information you know, but I'm charitable  :wink: .) Vandyke is the name given to the zig-zag moulded design; it was produced in various colours like crystal and ruby. It is referred to in the S&W PG advert I posted under the Moresque topic. When a moulded pattern was covered in pulled up threads they addaed the word "Maze"; another example is over a moulded basket weave.

Your description of its manufacture is correct, the threading would have been applied and pulled up in the machined, the bowl would then be formed and blown into the zig-zag mould to create the pattern.

Just one small correction the pull-up machine could only pull vertically the manipulation such as in Osiris (note spelling) was done by the skill of the glass blower afterwards.

They are rare, apart from the one in Broadfield House I have only seen one other in the flesh and that was for sale a number of years ago at an extortionate price.

Best regards.

Dilwyn
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: BSevern on June 24, 2006, 10:06:41 PM
Hi Dil,

Welcome back, and thanks for taking a look at the bowl.  

This is great information, I'll note it on a paper and place it in the bowl for future reference.  

A basket weave with pull-up threads, wow that must be quite a piece.  I have a few basket weave pieces, but never knew they existed with the pull-up threaded treatment.

So the Osiris pieces were done by hand, that's interesting, I had always thought they were also done in Northwood's machine (it seems to be implied in the Hajdamach book).  

Do you think the Maze Vandyke piece in the Broadfield House is the same one that Charles  Hajdamach makes reference to in his British Glass book?  He references a  vase in the Michael Parkington collection with this same zig-zag pattern on page 282, but there's no photo.

Thanks again, this is great info.

Brian
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: Dil on June 25, 2006, 11:55:29 AM
Hi Brian,

I said the manipulation of the threads after being pulled in the machine was by hand in Osiris not that it was all by hand.

The piece in Broadfield House was from the Parkington collection. Michael was still alive when Charles wrote his book and the piece was on loan. Upon Michael's death the pieces on loan were bequeathed to the museum.

Regards

Dilwyn
Title: Stevens & Williams Northwood pull-up w/zig-zig pattern
Post by: Frank on June 25, 2006, 12:03:52 PM
Not just the ones on loan, there were many important pieces that went BH after his death and before the auctions. My last visit to him was a couple of days before he passed away and a few weeks later I was given a piece, when I collected it I saw a number of gaps that had not been there before he passed away.