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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: scavo on February 22, 2012, 06:35:41 PM

Title: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: scavo on February 22, 2012, 06:35:41 PM
Using my newly acquired Hajdamach 20th Century British Glass I think I may have IDed my first item from my collection.  :hiclp:

I think this could possibly be the jug that has applied enamel decoration on page 119 of the book mentioned above.

I have photographed straight on to show the profile for those in the know. There are no visible marks on the base but there are some pretty big scratchy areas that would cover the Stuart etched mark. I don't know enough about Stuart or Stuart marks

The 'base' is quite scratched as you can see in the photo and the pontil is really quite large.

I'd love it if anyone could confirm my attribution for this piece, or possibly point specific problems in making that attribution.

If it's right (i.e. Stuart), was production limited to '31-'35?
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931?
Post by: scavo on February 22, 2012, 06:38:34 PM
possibly Stratford Rings? as here:
http://meakb1.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: Paul S. on February 22, 2012, 08:04:17 PM
Is your jug 6.25" tall, as per the example on page 119 - if so then yours is quite probably Stuart.    Am assuming also that yours is amber, but the red tone is making it difficult to see the colour of the jug.         Stuart certainly made some of the largest ground/polished pontil marks I've seen  -  I have some real whoppers on one or two pieces of cut glass.      Stratford Rings, as a design feature, was introduced originally in 1921 - although this amber coloured glass and the shape of the jug didn't come in until about 1930, I think.     Yours is undecorated, although as you will have seen in the book, some of this amber range was decorated with transfer outlines plus hand coloured enamels - although this particular decoration didn't seem to last beyond the end of the '30's.     For how long this jug shape lasted I'm not sure  -  can't seem to see that fact in the books.   Stratford Rings seems to have been one of those successful design features that went on for ever - apparently it lasted well into the 1970's.

Glad the book has already proven useful  -  now for some more ;D

P.S.  why does your picture have such a heavy red tone??

Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: Anne on February 22, 2012, 10:13:12 PM
Lots of references to the Stratford pattern here on the board, this topic holds a fair few images, including several jugs:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,40522.0.html  and they are also shown on Lorraine's Stuart website here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14976327@N02/show/ :thup:
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: scavo on February 22, 2012, 10:26:42 PM
Red? Colour of my walls! Yes, it's amber. Found my tape measure! It's 6 7/8" tall so not the same as your specification.

Thanks, Anne. I will check it out and the hight issue needs to be clarified.

More use from the book - not as exciting as this but, yes, I've noticed that we used Ravenhead Apollo glasses at our retro dinner parties. I always knew they weren't that exciting! We shall have to toast the moon landing next week.
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: scavo on February 23, 2012, 10:11:49 PM
Thanks Anne, unfortunately I'm unable to connect to Lorraine's Stuart site.
I'm still pondering the discrepancy between Paul's 6.25" and my 6 7/8".
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: Paul S. on February 23, 2012, 10:35:04 PM
this morning when I tried Lorraine's site, it seemed to work o.k.  -  alas now I'm getting 'connection refused'  -  and unsure quite why it appears to have suddenly gone like that.        Has Lorraine been a visitor here in recent times (or ever  -- I'm now not sure).

Re the jug size question  -  I think there is usually some size tolerance with these pieces, so believe this one will be Stuart. :)
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: johnphilip on February 23, 2012, 11:46:39 PM
Gut feeling yes Stuart Stratford , seen loads of different ones over the years . Quite early .
Title: Re: Is this Stuart Crystal circa 1931? Stratford Rings?
Post by: scavo on February 24, 2012, 05:14:45 PM
Thanks PaulS & John Philip,

I kind of thought that perhaps the one in the Hadjamach book is on the small size, and mine is slightly on the large size, and the target size is somewhere like 6 1/2" then as-  a hand blown piece, this must be within tolerance. I assume pattern book hasn't been found to confirm what the target size was?

It certainly has quality about it and a huge ground out pontil and it's almost almost flawless.

Lorraine's site is working again. Off for a proper mooch, as we say up here!