Topic: sowerby black glass

[squirls]

I bought a pressed glass bowl very smooth & shiny, no design with the numbers 2616 stamped inside bowl. when I hold the bowl up to light its purple, like the purple you would see under a black light. Would this be Sowerby

[Bernard C]

squirls — yes, it's Sowerby.   1930s and post-war.

Try turning it upside down, and you will see what it is.   It is a 3¾" Plinth, originally made for the 2616 vase, but, like most circular Sowerby plinths, also used for other vases and bowls with a 3¾" base, such as the 2652 Rose Bowl.

The 2616 vase is a slightly cupped footed vase with a powerful flowing Deco design, partly mould-stippled, 7" in height, made in flint (clear uncoloured) and all Sowerby standard colours.

Your plinth is found in at least two slightly different shapes, and with two styles of numbering, indicating two different mouldmakers.   One is from a larger serifed set of numeric punches; the other is smaller and unserifed.   I believe that the large serifed numerals are the earlier, but I have not yet proved this.   I cannot recall ever seeing an unmarked 2616 plinth, but it is possible as several other general purpose circular Sowerby plinths such as the 3 3/8" 2506 exist in one or more unmarked versions.

Adam Dodds mentions plinth manufacture on this message board at http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,579.0.html

Bernard C. 

[squirls]

Thanks for the info!!! That's very interesting.  I can see what you mean by turning it upside down, now it makes sense as to what it is. I bought it for .25 at a thrift shop. I just liked the smoothness of the glass as I had never seen anything like this before. I could not figure out what it was for, I thought maybe an ashtray, but then there were no notches for cigarettes, so i figured it was some kind of bowl.  Are they collectible?

[Bernard C]

squirls — I don't know of any specialist plinth collections, but I am sure that there must be some!   I would find a reference collection useful for a variety of reasons.

There are both great rarities and eclectic exotica in the world of plinths.   Davidson orange cloud and ORA (red cloud) plinths are rare.

The best known peculiar shape is the clover leaf shaped Sowerby plinth made to fit their 2525 "frog" bowls and vases.   Another fine plinth made by Sowerby is the waisted plinth made to fit the large 8" 2614 "elephant" bowl.

Jobling plinths are all very similar, but there are two variants worth looking out for.   One, I think, is for the crinoline lady centrepiece set and is reversed, i.e. the bowl fits over a central raised area, and the other has a very wide rim to fit the medium sized bowl of the dancing lady set.   Bagley produced some fine oval and diamond shaped plinths.

The aristocrats of plinths come from central Europe, apparently mostly from the old Czechoslovakia.   Many of these are magnificent creations, and can be quite scarce.

A cautionary note.   The value of a centrepiece or other set lies in the complete original set as issued by the glassworks and sold by the retailer.   The components on their own are just spare parts with a corresponding value, although somewhat more than ".25", whatever currency you use.   Please keep complete sets together, unless you are extremely wealthy and have money to burn, in which case please send your surplus cash (all currencies accepted) to Bernard Cavalot ...

Bernard C.  

[chopin-liszt]

Hello,
Personally I consider plinths to be very desirable, whether with their original bits or not. They set any nice piece of glass off very well, and adding height to a piece on display raises it above anything in front of it, when on a shelf, thus allowing you to get more on view.    
Cheers, Sue

[squirls]

Hi Bernard:

Thanks again, I can't believe how much you know about this stuff. I can only wish I was so wealthy. Oh well, maybe in my next life.

Squirls

[Dave]

Hi, picked up this piece of Sowerby yesterday. I'm now looking for the correct sized frog:)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/davewolsey/label.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/davewolsey/sowerby1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/davewolsey/sowerby2.jpg

[Bernard C]

Sue — I agree wholeheartedly.   However, not just glass, but most pottery and china objects also look good on a black plinth, as you will see at any large antique fair.   The unfortunate side of knowing plinths is that I immediately visualise what should be on them, so to me and not more than a handful of other specialists a mixed combination looks terrible.

I get round any occasional display problem at fairs by using Chinese carved wooden stands.   This also protects me from being thought of as a mix-and-match merchant, and my clients know that if I am using a glass plinth then it is a proper component of the item for sale.   It is worth looking out for old examples — I picked up a box full at a local auction some years ago for a few pounds.   New carved wooden plinths are not expensive, considering the work that is involved in making them.   I think I got the idea from a Liberty catalogue page reproduced in Ysart Glass showing Monart displayed on these stands; Frank may be able to confirm this.

Squirls — You find that you just pick it up over time.   I find plinths interesting as they are often the only part of a set to carry any sort of mark.   Where are you?    Australia?    Plinths are always in demand for display purposes, so your purchase was something of a bargain.

Dave — your posy mushroom needs a flower block.   Unfortunately I don't know of anyone providing an antique and collectable glass spare parts service, probably because the economics wouldn't work; obvious really if you think about it.

Bernard C.  

[Anonymous]

Well it just goes to show you....banged up in these 4 walls its easy to think that something as mundane as plinths is of no interest to anyone else at all.... but like Bernard, Sue and Squirls I pick them up for the very same reason. They are really excellent for display as they add an extra dimension that lifts the object almost out of itself as it were....When a vase/bowl etc is placed directly onto a shelf, or whatever, it almost seems to lose part of itself into its support.... a bit like the bottom of it has been swallowed up by the shelf and taking something away from the balance of the piece.....once placed upon a plinth it "sets it free".....blimey what a lot of waffle....but I know what I mean.....If you haven't tried it...then do so...you'll be really surprised.... and finally you can normally pick them up for next to nothing.

regards

gareth

Morgan48

[Frank]

Moncrieff displayed Monart on wooden plinths at trade exhibitions and of course so did Liberty's. The popularity of the oriental in the 1920's made the use of these plinths ubiquitous and you frequently see them in use in interior shots from the period. The less elaborate plinths were used as bases for the Monart night light.



It is interesting that thet were used in both the 1929 and 1930 Liberty's catalogues but not at all in the following years, which can also be accessed from those links. (No Monart in 1928 or 1931 catalogues.)