Topic: Mystery Pressed Glass Crown (that glows!)

[Glen]

Can anyone help with any information or ideas about a splendid pressed glass Crown that I have recently acquired? I have posted a photo and information about it on my website. If you go to http://www.carnival-glass.net and then click on the article link (centre page) called Mystery Crown in Pressed Glass.

It's a magnificent item, and I've gone through just about every text source I have to no avail. Maybe someone has seen one like it before and can help. And by the way, it glows like crazy under UV light.

Glen

[Bernard C]

Glen:

I have seen just two of these, as I recall.   Like you, I haven't found any reference to them, nor do I know what event they were commemorating.   They are not in either Notley, nor in Strange & Rare.

As they don't seem particularly common, I just wonder if they were Edward VIII souvenirs that somehow got into circulation just before the abdication broadcast on 12 December 1936.   Presumably if this is the explanation, the main production stock would have been broken and recycled.

Bernard C.  

[Frank]

It is a bit difficult to tell which crown it is but I think the band on the lid looks like St Edwards Crown which was rebuilt for QEII coronation. Here are  a couple of links which might help you decide. If it proves to match one it would probably have needed Royal approval so that should be traceable.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-crown.html

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-badges/crowns.htm

[Glen]

Bernard and Frank - thank you both so much for your help and advice. I'm checking out your suggestion, Bernard - and I'm following up both the links you gave me Frank (most interesting). Again, thank you so much.

Glen

[Bernard C]

More thoughts.   If it was Edward VIII (or George VI), then you can eliminate two of the big four British coloured pressed glass factories capable of producing this souvenir in quantity for Empire-wide sales.

Davidson seem to have already had their Edward VIII souvenir worked out, the No. 314 Grecian Loving Cup Rd. No. 816983, registered just three days before the abdication broadcast on 9 December 1936.  See http://www.cloudglass.com for the George VI coronation version, sold as a boxed set with plinth.   Had Davidson produced this crown souvenir, why was it not registered?   Also I am sure that Chris and Val Stewart would have come across some reference to it by now.

It cannot be Bagley as it is not in the photograph of their Edward VIII souvenirs published in a late 1936 PG.

Bernard C.  

[ChrisStewart]

Hi Bernard, Glen,

I think you can rule out Edward VII. All of the Edward souvenirs produced by the UK glassmakers are well documented, there being numerous features/adverts in the Pottery Gazette. Also all (I think) of the ones made by UK manufacturers featured the head of Edward VII. When he abdicated, the designs changed to feature the heads of George and Elizabeth. The crown used also differs from the one on your powder jar.

All official souvenirs of the coronation sold in the UK had to be made in the UK and I think approved by a committee.

As your example has no writing, then it probably was not made as a souvenir of Royal event.

Another glass mystery!

Regards

Chris

[Bernard C]

Chris:

I may well be wrong, but I always understood that controlled official souvenirs were all those featuring portraits of the monarchs, and that all the other paraphernalia of royal events such as flags, bunting, special packaging of commodities such as tea and biscuits, and glass crowns were never controlled in the same way, only having to be legal and decent in the same way as everything else sold to the general public.

Also how far did the committee's powers extend?   UK only?   + colonies?   + dominions?

Bernard C.  

[Glen]

Bernard and Chris - thank you so much for your information and your thoughts. I'm really grateful to you, as this item really has got me pondering. I am digesting your information and suggestions - lots to consider there.

One thing I'd be grateful for your thoughts on - in fact anyone's thoughts on - is what could its intended function have been? We've had suggestions including powder jar, covered sugar, bonbonniere and even pot pourri holder. But my two favourite ideas are flower holder or jewel box.

The reason I thought it might be a jewel box is that I saw one of these items some years ago when I was at an antique fair. It's the only one I have ever seen and I only saw it for a few moments. I was approaching a stall when I caught a glimpse of the crown as the stall holder placed it on the table top and then seconds later, as I dashed to get to it, I saw someone else grab it ahead of me. Money quickly exchanged hands and I was left weeping.  

Now the thing is - the stall was actually a jewelry stall - full of hatpins, brooches, necklaces and rings. No other glass - just the crown. It occurs to me now that maybe the stall holder had acquired it while purchasing jewelry. The idea of putting your own jewels inside a crown seems possible. Does this have the ring of possibility, do you think?

[Anne]

Hi Glen,

How about a hatpin holder? That would appear to fit the style and would be an apt use for a crown shaped container... a designer with a sense of humour perhaps?

[Bernard C]

Glen, I've been thinking about that inner circular wall in the lid and the holes.   If it was for jewellery, the holes would let in dust, so it can't be that.   However, if it was for hatpins, the inner wall would help stop them all getting intertwined in the centre.   A thick fabric-covered felt pad in the bottom would stop the hatpins getting blunt (and would clean the blood off if you had had trouble with your aim!).

Can you find any hint of hatpin damage anywhere?

I'm only a grumpy old man ... quite unforgivable of me to express an opinion in such a mysterious area.   What you really need is a grumpy old gal with hatpin experience!

Oops, I see Anne got there first, while I was warming up my lunch. That's two votes for hatpins.

Bernard C.