Topic: Some more Vaseline / Uranium 'triffids'

[KevinH]

I have added another photo ... just the feet parts.

This was done by taking a non-flash image, using a "daylight" desktop lamp. The glass was first treated with talc to find and highlight the edges of the joins of each element. The item was placed on a black surface (old ski-jacket!) to minimise the "transparency" of such a bright green glass. Even so, some white of reflected light is still visible where there are additional "ridges" in the glass as a result (presumably) of tooling rather than what might alternatively have been such as "mould lines".

Because of the white reflected highlights, I then changed the talc lines to a dark blue to give good contrast against the yellow-green. I also blurred the areas that are not feet (or the prunt) to remove distraction of the opalescent flower holder tubes.

So, does the result make it any clearer on the method of constructing this piece?

[Leni]

Thanks, Kevin.  Yours looks very much like a complete version of my broken triple, shown here http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-5792

Are the opalescent trumpets a completely different glass from the 'stem' and feet?  Are they uranium glass or not?  I am always surprised at the different combinations of glass used in these 'rustic' or 'thorn' pieces!  And also how some parts which looks as if they are not uranium glass actually glow very brightly, showing that they must be cased in uranium - both the amber and the cranberry example in my latest pictures look totally green under UV, with not trace of the colour showing through!   

Bernard, I think my problem with the term 'Canary' is that I don't really see this glass as yellow, but as a lime green - it doesn't look much like a canary at all to me (although I'm not familiar with that many canaries    ) 

[KevinH]

Yes Leni - they are very much alike. Perhaps we each have one item from a full multi-piece set? Or, more likely, these were quite numerous at one time and we both happened upon examples in our meanders around fairs etc. Assuming they are of the same design, then yours would have had a simple upright thorny branch between the two trumpets, rather than three trumpets - unless your broken part shows evidence of another trumpet. I suppose it could be possible that there were double and triple trumpet versions in a full set as well as other larger and more complex ones.

Are the opalescent trumpets a completely different glass from the 'stem' and feet?  Are they uranium glass or not?

Mine is seen under longwave UV [blacklight] in this image and it shows that the opalescent trumpets are different to the rest. I have painted out the background in black to get rid of all the white dust particles that always show under UV. Also, I have dimmed the image by 30% to get a better comparison of the difference between the reaction of the different parts (regular close-up digital shots of UV reactions as bright as with this item show as several times brighter than seen with my eyes alone). Under shortwave UV, there is no obvious reaction in any part except that everything is just brightened up several degrees - so both the greens and the opalescent white & blues look as intense as search lights compared with battery-powered torches [flashlights]!

[Leni]

Yes Leni - they are very much alike. Perhaps we each have one item from a full multi-piece set?

Not likely I'd say    because

the opalescent trumpets are different to the rest.

whereas mine are, in the case of this particular piece, the same glass as the rest!  Which just goes to prove what I was saying about how I've found very different glass apparently used in very similar pieces! 

I would love to have your technology when illuminating my Uranium glass!  I only have the most basic LED torch!    

Having seen yours I think I agree my 'broken triple' would also have had a plain 'trunk' in the middle rather than a third trumpet, but who knows?  There is such variation in these pieces! 

When I spoke to Mervyn Gulliver at The National last year he seemed to think that many of the Stourbridge glasshouses would have made their own versions, which the different types of glass might indicate - or perhaps not, if they were made over a period of years  :huh: 

Oh, it's so confusing!  With the exception of some, like those shown in my third and fourth pictures, which can possibly be 'matched' to known designs, I think I'm going to have to settle for 'Generic Stourbridge'!