Topic: Swans (Crane 1879 and on)

[Bernard C]

THREAD SPLIT FROM A CAFE TOPIC

My best ever glass buy was in a pile of house clearance junk that a dealer had just tipped out on to his table at a bric-a-brac market.   I saw this flash of yellow, and it was a three swans vase, perfect!

On the base was a big label with £100 on it.   I picked it up and asked if there was a dealer discount.   "Oh, alright, you can have it for 70p, but I'm sure it's worth more."   So I paid my 70p and fled.

My best recent buy was an advertising ashtray pointed out to me by Christine of Uranium Towers (Thanks a million, Christine).   I knew it was Wood Bros from the lettering.   When it arrived I found "MADE IN ENGLAND" on the back, exactly the same lettering as on a standard Lillicrap's hone — same font, same spacing between letters, and same spacing between words — so not only the same glass house, but the same mouldmaker.    It's always useful to know you've not made some dreadful error along the way, and to have all your logic confirmed by something completely different (and unexpected).

Bernard C. 

[Sklounion]

Bernard,
Why flash of yellow, and what is a

three swans vase

I ask as there exists a Czech three swans vase which may be one and the same.
Please do you have an image?
Thanks in advance,
regards,
Marcus

[Leni]

Well, I don't know the Czech one, but I immediately thought of this: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/albums/userpics/10048/normal_Headless_chicken_vase.jpg and thought, "Yellow?" !!! 

[Lustrousstone]

That Sowerby one does come in yellow Leni - real custard yellow glass - but I think it's called Giallo (see Barrie Skelcher for a Diving Dolphins in yellow)

[Bernard C]

Yes — It was a Sowerby / Walter Crane Three Swans vase in Giallo, see Cottle, Hajdamach or West for a colour photograph.    How it survived being tipped out onto that table beats me.

Bernard C. 

[Leni]

Yes — It was a Sowerby / Walter Crane Three Swans vase in Giallo,

For 70p??  

[Bernard C]

No, Leni, it was for £1.00, mis-read by me.   I just managed to get the price reduced to 70p!

Bernard C. 

[Sklounion]

Thank you, Leni and Bernard,
Your responses have immediately clarified something for me. As you may recall, one of my  recent posts requested information regarding the designer E Downey. It is a "three swans vase" by Downey, (who, its seems worked for Vitrea, London) that was made by Hermanova Hut', pattern number 19814, designed specifically for the English market, that I was referring to. Clearly the Walter Crane item pre-dates this vase?? and more than probably was the inspiration for the Downey version, which was produced from the late 1940s. I'll check the copyright position, and try to post an image later.
Regards,
Marcus

[Bernard C]

Marcus — The Sowerby / Walter Crane design was registered 14 August 1879, 1st series reg no. 338296.    Cottle provides the date for the Crane source publication:

A dado and frieze wallpaper design entitled 'Swan, Rush and Iris', drawn by Crane and printed by Jeffrey & Co. in 1877, may have provided the inspiration for these vases.

Don't forget that Crane, Sowerby and Dresser, together with their families, were very close and certainly inspired each other.

We are fortunate that it was Simon Cottle with his breadth of experience who wrote the book.   Almost anyone else would have missed all this.    Sadly Cottle's discoveries are still largely ignored.

Bernard C. 

[Glen]

I have never ignored Cottle. And if Cottle is ignored, then so am I.   

I've written rather a lot about Sowerby's swan designs in our books, articles etc., and most recently on our web site (that includes the Covered swan butter, as well as the Royal Swans and the swan posy discussed here).
Links are:
http://www.geocities.com/carni_glass_uk_2000/GeordieGlass.html
links from that page to
http://www.geocities.com/carni_glass_uk_2000/SowerbyCloseUp.html
http://www.geocities.com/carni_glass_uk_2000/SowerbyCloseUp2.html

I agree that the Swan, Rush and Iris graphic design (Crane) was inspirational, but if you take a look at Crane's design for The Three Ships (in The Baby's Opera) you'll gasp at the similarities too!

And it didn't stop there. Westmoreland copied Sowerby.....Summit reproduced Westmoreland...and Imperial had the wind beneath their (swan) wings when they made their Three Swans vase.

Should sections of this thread be connected up and placed in Glass?

Glen