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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => USA => Topic started by: mrs vulture on June 11, 2010, 07:57:21 AM

Title: Purple bowl - ID = Cambridge Helio
Post by: mrs vulture on June 11, 2010, 07:57:21 AM
Hello, When I bought this bowl on the carboot this week I immediately thought it was Davidson because of the typical shape. But I knew I has never seen any Davidson glass in this purple colour, I have searched but still can't find any reference to this colour. It is a solid colour not unlike jade glass (but purple!!!!) It has a very tiny bit of streaking but in no way looks like the purple cloud glass I have. The light will show through where the glass is thinnest. 7 inches across 2 and a half inches tall.   Thank you as always. Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Lustrousstone on June 11, 2010, 08:48:52 AM
WOW. The Davidson Jade sometimes has a bit of streaking
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Anne on June 11, 2010, 01:12:48 PM
Ooohhhh, what an unusual colour!
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 11, 2010, 03:33:49 PM
Hi    It really is a beautiful colour,   I wonder why its not mentioned on any of the Davidson sites, is it very rare perhaps?  Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Anne on June 11, 2010, 08:41:36 PM
Dunno Cheryl, but I've dropped a note to Chris Stewart of the Davidson / Cloudglass website / book and asked if he can take a looksee for you.
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 11, 2010, 08:55:33 PM
Thank you Anne, thats really good of you. I'd like to get to the bottom of this one. I love this bowl for the colour alone. I can't seem to find even one other piece from any maker this colour.   Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: ChrisStewart on June 12, 2010, 07:17:07 PM
Hi,
I don't think it is Davidson. It is not a Davidson colour or style.

Regards,

Chris
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 12, 2010, 07:24:36 PM
Does anybody have any idea who its made by then?  Could it possibly be a trial piece or did they not do such things?  Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Anne on June 12, 2010, 08:43:36 PM
Thanks for popping in Chris, much appreciated.  At least we know it's not Davidson now, Cheryl...  I've never seen that colour in glass before so I'm totally stumped... is the colour solid through or is it surface applied?
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: pamela on June 13, 2010, 03:33:43 AM
Liking Cheryl's idea of a trial piece, just a wild guess: could even be Brockwitz, see these streaky, obvious trial vases:

http://www.pressglas-pavillon.de/vasen/05947.html

B. made purple/amethyst also; I'm unable to attribute shape and pattern, however looks at least related to CHICAGO

 :pb:

Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 13, 2010, 05:42:01 AM
The colour is solid not applied, Its very nicely made and seems a quality piece, Brockwitz would be nice  ;D   Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Anne on June 13, 2010, 10:08:16 AM
It also reminds me very much of Sowerby "Essex", the panels and the base are very like but the rims on those "Essex" pieces shown in Glen's Sowerby CD (Vol 2 George V - Elizabeth II) are wavy not plain like Cheryl's.

More searching of catalogues needed methinks. :)
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 13, 2010, 12:53:00 PM
I like to thank you all for your searching, :thup:   the purple seems to be very dark purple in a dull light but in bright light the edges almost seem blueish.   Thanks again hope we can find a maker.    Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Ohio on June 13, 2010, 04:28:56 PM
Looks to me like a Cambridge 2800/234 basin bowl in Helio  from around 1922 to 1926. These came with a decent sized pitcher that sat in the bowl, not a large pitcher, more medium sized. I'm 95% certain. There was a small Cambridge showroom in London for a few years & thats where many Cambridge figural flower frogs came from that still survive today in the UK. Ken
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 13, 2010, 05:11:14 PM
Thank you so much Ken,  I did a quick search of Cambridge Glass and soon came up with several items in the Helio colour. I found a lovely 3 piece mayo set in this colour and a couple of vases. So I think we are safe to say it is definately Cambridge glass. I would never have guessed that in a million years!!!  ;D  Thanks to you all for your help, I'm so glad we found a maker.   Cheryl :thup:  :chky:
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Adam on June 21, 2010, 03:15:15 PM
Davidsons certainly made experimental colours.  I myself made dozens of weird and wonderful colours in small skittle pots holding about 10 lbs of glass.  My only reservation would be that a 7" bowl is a bit big to get out of such a pot.  I pass on the mould - can't remember if I saw that one or not.

I never tried a purple opal but I know of no reason why manganese in a fluoride or phosphate opal would not work.  I'm sure that other people would have continued to experiment long after I left.  How any samples made in this way escaped into the wild must be left to the imagination!

Adam D.
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: mrs vulture on June 22, 2010, 08:13:16 AM
I've found just one or two more Cambridge pieces in this helio colour,not in this shape, all in USA, it apparently only had a short run being made. Think I'll keep it  ;D   I can just imagine the trial Davidson colour pieces being taken home and given to someones mum. Nice.     Cheryl
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Lustrousstone on June 22, 2010, 09:09:44 AM
Here are some Helio bits, including transparent Helio

Mod: Links to clicksnipwow removed as site is no longer connected to glass. Please visit http://chataboutdg.com/forums/ and use the search function instead
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: Ohio on June 22, 2010, 02:50:54 PM
Christine the chataboutDG "transparent Helio" link picked up on the name Helio, however the color of that vase is Mulberry which is not a Cambridge opaque. Thats a search engine problem with the chataboutDG site as at times it picks up on text not related to the piece being shown. That verbage should be changed from transparent to opaque & I'll email Jo & Suzanne. Thanks for pointing that out.

Adam the bowl appears in the reference "Colors in Cambridge Glass" Volume I by the National Cambridge Collectors. I am a 20 year member of the organization. The 2800/234 basin bowl appears on Plate 6, Row 4 under Azurite, another of Cambridge opaques. I've never counted the number of line blanks used for Cambridge opaques from 1922 through 1927, but I suspect they would number over 100 & most blanks can be found in every Cambridge opaque color.  Ken
Title: Re: Purple Davidson bowl???
Post by: jsmeasell on June 22, 2010, 08:57:29 PM
As soon as I saw the picture, I said "Cambridge Helio" to myself, and I now see that Ken has beat me to the post! The other key to ID this piece is the "colonial style" pattern. I have seen quite a few of these Cambridge pieces in a variety of interesting opaque colors, but I think Helio is one of the best! The Cambridge firm was a large and important manufacturer in the 1920s, and they surely had contacts who were involved in exporting to the UK and other parts of the world.