Topic: Sowerby Venetian Glass

[mikenott]

I am developing a bit of a "thing" about Sowerby Venetian glass. I just like its colours and shapes which bridge their victorian pressed glass to the Art Noveau movement. I only have five pieces and two of those are duplicates, but I would love to find out more about this particular style of glass from Sowerby. I have been through my pressed glass books (Lattimore, Thompson, Slack) as well as the Sowerby pattern book CD's and can find very little on designs, patterns, colours or history. Can anybody on this list provide any information or links? 

Thanks in anticipation

Michael.

[krsilber]

That's interesting.  Looks quite similar to a Steuben line, but with lighter colors.  When we these made?

[nigel benson]

Hello Michael,

These are really nice things and a great series of wares to collect. I would say closer to Aesthetic Movement or the Arts and Crafts because of their simplicity.  It is even possible that some of the pieces could be Christopher Dresser, as their shapes are so indicative of his work. I've always thought it a strange name for this range as there seems little direct resembance to Venetian glass, but they were made at a time when a number of companies were producing 'Venetian' ranges.

Somewhere in my library there is a book with a page that has Sowerby Venetian glass designs reprinted. I've had a quick look through to see if it's in the half I keep here, but to no avail   Perhaps it's at home. I'll take a look when I next get a chance - assuming nobody else beats me to the draw

Nigel

[Bernard C]

Michael - I'm envious - ” You're doing rather better than me with this beautiful range, as I've only had two examples through my hands, a closed basket and a cream jug.

The material you require on Sowerby's Venetian glass is contained in a chapter entitled Art and Venetian Studio Glass in Simon Cottle, Sowerby - Gateshead Glass, Tyne & Wear Museums Service, 1986, pp74 €81.

In my opinion this chapter is one of the two most important pieces on British glass published in the 20th century.   It contains a wealth of primary evidence, probably because Simon Cottle knew that it wouldn't be well received.   In fact it has not been received at all, but almost universally ignored, as it shows that J.G. Sowerby was producing a huge variety of Clutha-style glass in quantity for almost three years before Christopher Dresser "invented" it, and that it is quite easy to confuse the two ranges.   In fact I don't think anyone really knows how to tell the difference, save for a handful of well-provenanced examples, as evidenced by the complete absence of Sowerby examples appearing on the market since the book was published.   As I haven't yet dealt in Clutha-style glass and am a great fan of J.G., I like to think of Clutha as repro Sowerby - and that's probably not far from the truth!     

I checked on the Internet and there is one example available for sale.   Alternatively you should be able to borrow one through inter-library loan.   One of Glen's CDs should have the catalogue page you need, it's in Pattern Book VIII, 1880, according to Cottle's caption.

Bernard C. 

[mikenott]

From what I know and others have said around the 1880's. I have been given a source which hopefully will tell me more.

Michael.

[nigel benson]

Bernard,

When Harry Lyons held the Christopher Dresser People's Designer 1834-1904 exhibition in June 1999 there were examples of the Sowerby clutha style pieces.

In fact it is believed that this prolific designer first had glass produced at (yes you've guessed it) - Sowerby. Indeed there is some evidence that points toward this being so. There is also some thought that Richardsons and Thomas Webb also produced his designs. The section on glass in the catalogue that accompanied the exhibition was written by Chris Morley. In it he discussed the possibilities/probabilities that Dresser worked for a huge number of firms, for which, at the time there was no concrete proof. Apart from being a prolific designer in his own right, Dresser ran a design studio which employed other designers, rather like Terence Conran today, and artists through the ages.

So, don't be too quick to put him down. The juries out, but I know work is being done on this, and other questions about Dresser's work and influence.

Nigel

(Note: Chris Morley and Brian Cargin's Powell collection was the core, and stimulus to, the exhibition held at Manchester City Art Gallery in 1997)