Topic: Curious square candlestick - ID = Sowerby "Beverley"

[Anne]

Another puzzle I'm trying to solve: one square candlestick, possibly from a trinket set, but I'm not sure.

Size: 85mm x 85mm base, 60mm  high

Marked underneath: RGD No. 307930 or possibly 807930 or  807980 - the 3 / 8 isn't very clear.

If it's 307930 then the number is from 1897, but the number isn't shown in Thompson's The Identification of English Pressed Glass and the date doesn't seem right stylistically for the candlestick.

If 807930 then the date is 1935, registered to British T.V. Supplies Aldwych; and if 807980 then it's the same year but registered to the Cardiff Foundry Engineering Co Ltd -  neither of whom seem likely candidates for needing trinket sets!

Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.

[Frank]

Foundry could be relevant if it was also made in metal. Not all designs are registered by the manufacturer.

[KevinH]

Frank's point is a good one. I have a lidded box / jar in pale blue glass but with a registration lozenge with Class I (metalwork) on the base, proving a non-glass mould used for a glass item. I suppose it was not too much of a rarity for glass items to be made from non-glass moulds.

Another example of my bowl / jar (size given as 10cm high and 9cm square base) was shown at the Glass Circle's "From Palace to Parlour ..." exhibition in 2003 where it was described as a jar. That one was in "pale opalescent green" and dated as "1865 - 1868", with a lozenge on the base dating to 14 Feb 1865. My metal mould one was dated as Jan 14 1844. I could not see the lozenge on the base of the green one, to check its Class number, because it was displayed on the lowest shelf of the cabinet.

[Anne]

Thanks both, that's a definite possibility.

Another thought whilst checking RD nos - the details I gave above came from Thompson's book as stated and from the GA Blue Book, but when I went to the Great Glass listing of RD nos non of those numbers are shown, but there is an 807989 listed to Sowerby & Co in 1935.  Given how difficult it is to make out the numbers, this is a possibility. Does anyone have access to Sowerby catalogues for 1939 which show this item please? I checked Glen's Sowerby CD and can't find it there.

[Anne]

Updated info: this is now confirmed as Sowerby's "Beverley"  candlestick - see https://www.glasstrinketsets.com/cms3/english/sowerby/beverley