Topic: I.d please,Walsh-Walsh maybe?

[keith]

About 5 inches high,lots of wear broken off pontil mark,Keith.

[Anne]

That's really beautiful!

You're often better posting items for ID into Glass itself Keith, as if it's not English you will miss out on those who might know but who don't check in here.  I'll move it over for you.

[Lustrousstone]

Doubt it with that pontil, probably Bohemian

[obscurities]

I agree with Christine. Bohemian for sure.  With that pontil style I would lean towards Rindskopf, but I have not seen that decor by them before.

Is the glass opalescent at all, or is it an iridescent clear, kind of like Steuben Verre de Soie?

Craig

[keith]

Have been looking in Gullivers 'Victorian decorative glass' and it is very similar to a bowl on page 110 although I have no idea what the base looks like; but it has the same iridescence,one can only hope(been after a piece of Walsh for some time),thanks for all the comments,Keith.

[Lustrousstone]

I have to say the only similarity is the finish and that's not exclusive to Walsh. The moulded pattern is different, the style is different and the Walsh pieces I have (Primrose) have polished over-sized pontils. That shape looks to be typical Bohemian rose bowl but missing a metal grid.

[keith]

I'd agree with that,the rim is typical for a piece that should have a metal grill,oh well back to the search for my first piece of Walsh Walsh,thanks to all,Keith.

[Bernard C]

Keith — Definitely Walsh clear opalescent Opaline Brocade, launched PG November 1897, rather than a Harry Northwood copy, launched 1899, and, as Christine said, missing its close-fitting metal flower holder.   Heacock & Gamble Book 9 illustrates a similar example on page 61, which the late William Heacock describes as possibly English, a remarkable observation from 22 years ago, illustrating how advanced his knowledge was in comparison with ours on this side of the pond.   For canary opalescent examples see Gulliver p90, the front cover of Reynolds, and the amazing epergne on display at the Red House Glass Cone (illustrated on one of their postcards).

Bernard C. 

[obscurities]

Bernard.... 

There was an earlier comment on the pontil style in relationship to being Walsh. I know very little about Walsh...... Ok I know nothing.....  Is this style of pontil typical of Walsh work?  I could not really see the pattern in the glass before, but after pulling up some Walsh Opaline Brocade images in Google and taking another look, I can see it....

Craig

[Bernard C]

...   Is this style of pontil typical of Walsh work?   ...

Craig — Yes, of this period, one of the three pontil finishes found, which are:

Neatly broken off, as here,

ground out and polished, or

with applied strawberry or raspberry prunt.

Obviously the third option was not available for flat-bottomed items.   I believe the choice was customer preference, either stated by the customer or according to the salesman's perception of his customer's requirements, and may have been reflected in the wholesale price.

...    I could not really see the pattern in the glass before, but after pulling up some Walsh Opaline Brocade images in Google and taking another look, I can see it....

Craig — This is a common difficulty with smaller examples of Walsh Opaline Brocade, as I believe the pattern dip-mould was quite large, so smaller pieces could not show all of the pattern — it got chopped off at the top, bottom, or both.   In contrast, Harry Northwood had his pattern dip-mould at Indiana made quite small, so the whole pattern can be seen on smaller pieces like the conventional salt and pepper shakers illustrated in Book 9.   The disadvantage of a small pattern mould can be seen clearly on larger items like water pitchers, where the Walsh mould would have been at its magnificent best, but the pattern on Northwood's production looks thin and etiolated by comparison.

Bernard C.