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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Unresolved Glass Queries => Topic started by: Glen on August 06, 2005, 02:39:32 PM

Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Glen on August 06, 2005, 02:39:32 PM
So, we were taking digitals, and the chat about vaseline items made us decide to photograph this mystery item.

She appears to be Britannia maybe, or Victoria. She's pressed glass and measures 7" long and stands 7" high. She glows like crazy under UV light. There is no marking on the figure, nothing to indicate maker. Does anyone know the maker or any more detail?


Glen

Mod:  New pics kindly given 17.1.09
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Anonymous on August 06, 2005, 03:08:36 PM
Next to useless help here... but ..isnt there a painting or bronze or something of Queen Victoria in exactly the same position in situ.??

Gareth
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Glen on August 06, 2005, 03:30:42 PM
Ooooh, that sounds worth a google. Thanks, Gareth.

Glen
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Leni on August 06, 2005, 03:44:04 PM
The hair doesn't look like Queen Victoria's, but the pose is reminiscent of the Britannia figure on the back of old UK coins, just without the shield & spear / trident  :shock:

Leni
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Glen on August 06, 2005, 03:49:29 PM
Perhaps she's Britoria  :shock:

She is a little like that Leni. The figure reminds me of both Victoria and Britannia. It's odd that there are blank circles on the side of the plinth - as if something was supposed to be in them. The piece has been a puzzle to us for some time. It's similar in many ways to the Derbyshire Lions and others. We have a vaseline lion (unmarked) that has a Union flag at the very front of the item. The Britoria figure is very much like that.

(And by a strange coincidence, Gareth, we bought this item off Phyllis some years ago - isn't that odd that she should crop up in this way twice today?)

Glen
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Leni on August 06, 2005, 04:03:13 PM
Hey, I googled and found this one!  :shock: http://tinypic.com/a2pvm9.jpg (copyright The Milk Glass Collectors Society)

Do you think they could be related?  :shock:  :lol:

Leni
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Glen on August 06, 2005, 04:17:41 PM
Hey Leni - she sure could be a first cousin.  :lol: You google good!

I have a photo of the milk glass lady in Lattimore's book - it shows the blue milk glass lady in yellow vaseline. Says she is unmarked but he suggests Derbyshire. On her plinth I can see the word Victoria. Then there's a Britannia with the helmet and Union flag shield in green glass that is marked Derbyshire.

I can't help feeling that our Britoria (or is she Victannia?) is somehow unfinished.

Glen
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Anonymous on August 06, 2005, 05:01:02 PM
methinks the lady stands on the same plinth as the Derbyshire lion <roar> and if I remember correctly - was it not Landseer which inspired Nelson's column which inspired Derbyshire?  Brittania in the comfy chair may be a  glowing representation of some monument, perhaps?
Ivo
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Leni on August 06, 2005, 05:20:31 PM
Quote from: "Anonymous"
Brittania in the comfy chair may be a  glowing representation of some monument, perhaps?
Ivo

"Not the 'Comfy Chair'!" :lol:

Actually, isn't there is a statue of Queen Vic, sort of in this pose, outside somewhere called the Queen Victoria Building somewhere in in Australia?  

"Or did I dream it?"   :lol:

Leni (in full 'Monty Python quotes' mode  :wink: )
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Connie on August 06, 2005, 05:53:15 PM
Is this the same piece which you are referring to as the Derbyshire Lion?

(http://www.glassmavenhaven.com/connie/lion.JPG)


Leni's comments made me think to look in my Milk Glass Collector's book which is where I found the lion.  I agree that the base is very similar to Glen's lady.

This is some of what Chiarenza and Slater say about this piece

Quote
Shown by Slack in translucent green glass (plate XXVII), it is unmarked and dated circa 1890.  Slack attributes this, and an almost identical but slightly different version to Henry Greener, and suggests it is probably unmarked because it dates "from the period after Henry Greener & Co. was acquired by James Jobbing" pg. 94


Edited to correct my typos in the quote.  It is hard to type while holding open the book with one hand  :lol:
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Glen on August 06, 2005, 06:39:24 PM
Ivo - the Derbyshire Lion has a ribbed base. The Britoria figure's plinth doesn't have any ribbing.

Connie - the milk glass Lion you posted is the twin to our vaseline Lion with the Union flag. It's not the Derbyshire Lion - there is no Union flag on the Derbyshire Lions, The Union flag lion has not yet been found with any trademark (to the best of my knowledge).

The base on Britoria has a slight similarity to the milk glass/vaseline/Union flag Lion regarding the buttons (raised blobs for want of a better description!) around the top of the plinth. But Britoria lacks the ribbing below and instead has more blobs.

Tis a mystery.

Glen
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Leni on August 07, 2005, 07:43:47 AM
Good enough for me to attribute Britoria to Derbyshire!  :shock:

What do you think, MrVaselineGlass?

Leni
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Glen on August 07, 2005, 08:28:49 AM
Steve had spotted the Britannia on eBay a day or two ago...and noted the "damage"  :roll:  Such a shame.

I wish I could draw a firm conclusion that Britoria is Derbyshire...but I still can't.  :cry:

Glen
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: mrvaselineglass on August 07, 2005, 01:20:28 PM
I can't draw any "attribution" either.  The figure that is currently on ebay has the derbyshire marking.  IF the mystery piece was also derbyshire, there would be a very good chance that it would also be marked with the JD or Anchor symbol.  My thoughts go to one of derbyshire's competitors trying to carve up some of the market share.  Like any business, they were all competitive, trying to survive, and if one company was successful with an idea, others would try something similar.   20 years ago, most of us did not know what the initials SUV mean.  now, every car company has some version.  It was the same in the glass world.  

The one thing I think we can conclude from this figurine is that it was NOT made by Derbyshire, as there is already a different version that is marked.

Dave
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: Anonymous on August 14, 2005, 11:54:36 AM
Leni,

the Statue of Queen victoria outside the Quenn Victoria Building in Sydney is much more intimidating (as required to keep us Colonials in our place :wink: )

I have a pic of it in a book, but you might be able to find one on their website:

www.qvb.com.au

Cheers,

Rob
Title: Mysterious Vaseline Figurine
Post by: chopin-liszt on August 14, 2005, 03:46:25 PM
:D Hello, We've got a statue of Queen Victoria in Dundee, in a seated position. Even though she frequently wears a traffic cone on her head, she still manages to look imposing. I don't think either Queen Vic. or Brittania slouched in the relaxed manner of the piece in question!