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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Keencollector on June 09, 2012, 09:13:04 AM

Title: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Keencollector on June 09, 2012, 09:13:04 AM
 Could anyone identify the maker of this primrose pearline cake stand.  A glass dealer in U.K. sold it to previous owner as by Davidson but I am wondering if it is Davidson, Greener or U.S. maker.  It stands 75 mm high and is 210 mm wide.  Your help would be appreciated, thanks.
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Anne on June 09, 2012, 04:02:41 PM
Could you add pics of the whole piece please? Top and side views are helpful. :)

Also, I've tweaked your topic subject to attract the attention of those who may be able to help. For why this is important, please read the HELP post here: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,17458.0.html
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Keencollector on June 09, 2012, 10:26:57 PM
Thanks Anne for reply.  Hope photo's I attached are helpful.  Margaret.
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Paul S. on June 10, 2012, 09:03:53 PM
Hello Margaret................that edging does look a bit 'orangey' for Davidson, although it might just be a camera/screen problem.     I take it you've looked for a Rd. No., and assume you have checked that it does 'glow' :)
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Anne on June 10, 2012, 09:48:41 PM
Thanks Margaret. It's a lovely item!  That edging reminds me of some of the Davidson patterns but the design itself isn't familiar.  Have you checked to see if there's any mark or a number on the cakestand at all? Sometimes they are hard to spot, but if you run your finger across the glass you can feel them. If there's a number (what Paul referred to above as an RD. No.) then that would be very helpful.  They usually begin with Rd. No. or Reg. or RD followed by a long number. 
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Paul S. on June 10, 2012, 10:27:12 PM
sorry Margaret........I'd forgotten for a moment that you are new, and I should have explained more clearly what I meant :)      Somehow you seem to have escaped the usual beginners  'I'm new please be gentle' tag. :)          In the U.K., from approximatley the 1840's until about the middle of the twentieth century, manufacturers of pressed glass often registered their new designs, with the Patent Office, as a means of protecting their copyright of a particular design and as a means by which to try and prevent copying of their items by other factories.    A sequence of Nos., eventually running into six figures, and as Anne says preceded by Reg. No. or Rd. No. formed part of the glass mould, and thus when pessing a piece those details are transferred to the article, in relief.           Unfortunately, it doesn't hold true all of the time, and glass is found, frequently, without these details just to make life difficult.     I believe that a lot of Davidson Pearline is marked, but no doubt a lot isn't.    Within a distinctive range such as Davidson Yellow Pearline, I would imagine most shapes are well documented, and it is in the area of clear glass that difficulties are greater.
Hope I've now put that right, and I bet Margaret knew all of this anyway. :)   
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Keencollector on June 11, 2012, 03:18:55 AM
Thank you both Paul and Anne.
Paul, I haven't checked it with a light as I don't have one, will have to see to that.  I have been studying this piece for a Rd. number and think I can see a very faint impression but I may be imagining it.  I asked a friend to look and she can't see the mark I am looking at so maybe my eyes are worse than I thought.  The white edge is lighter than some of Davidson's designs but is close to my cake stand in William and Mary.  I have Greener pieces in primrose and some are similar to the cakestand but some are more vibrant yellow. 
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Keencollector on June 11, 2012, 03:22:59 AM
Cakestand with two Greener pieces.
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Keencollector on June 11, 2012, 03:26:16 AM
Woops......photo too big, sorry.  My computer skills are limited.
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Keencollector on June 11, 2012, 06:17:23 AM
Hello Paul,

Attached is the cake stand compared with two Greener items.

Thanks, Margaret.
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Lustrousstone on June 11, 2012, 06:29:36 AM
You can generally feel registered marks; if there's nothing to feel, there's probably nothing to see

And it's definitely uranium. I suspect Greener is a good bet
Title: Re: Identification of maker of primrose pearline cakestand
Post by: Paul S. on June 11, 2012, 08:39:46 AM
Margaret, you might find this useful for economy value u.v. torches... www.netpcdirect.co.uk   

I suspect that Lustrousstone is correct (this lady is very clever), but if it does happen that you don't resolve this one - insofar as being able to discount Davidson - then remember you can always contact Val and Chris Stewart on 'info at cloudglassdot com'......(replacing with the correct @ and .com) - who are most likely to be able to provide the answer (at least regarding Davidson products).

'Feeling' for Rd Nos. is a reliable means of detecting them - on clear glass especially - but they can sometimes be indistinct and worn, and pressed glass can sometimes, by its nature, be rough to the feel.      I might suggest you supplement feeling by also looking. :)