Topic: Yellow ruffled edge uranium glass bowl in silver plated stand

[lesliec]

Hi all.  Very new to glass collecting but intending to concentrate on pre-WW1 uranium glass, because ... it's there.

I acquired this little piece yesterday and I'm going slightly mad trying to identify it.  It measures about 13cm across and six deep (allowing for the ruffles!).  There seems to be no pontil mark; the bottom has a very smooth concavity where a pontil would be.  The base is marked 'Richfield Plate Co Quadruple 1561' and at least that's something Mr Google can give me some information on.  I'm assuming the 1561 is a pattern number or similar; there's also the initials 'PZ' both on the maker's plate and beside it - maybe the individual craftsman who made the base?

But it's the glass itself that's giving me trouble (it lights up beautifully under UV).  I'm thinking maybe a Fenton 'silver crest' design, but I haven't been able to find anything quite like it in some pretty extensive searching.  Can anybody help ID the maker, and also to tell me what the original purpose of the piece was - salt, posy bowl, other?

Thanks.

[catshome]

Hello and welcome.  What a pretty piece you have decided to start with!

I can't give you all the answers, but as a starting point...... Your piece has a polished Pontil mark and, I believe, would have been mould blown to give it the right shape and size for the stand.  It has a "ruffle top".

You were right to think the clues would come from the base.  The link below shows an image with a similar stand, but with a handle, and describes the piece as a "jelly or delite".  The stand is by Homan Manufacturing in Cincinnati Ohio, and Richfield Plate is one of their brand names.  Richfield is also in Ohio.

Whether they made the stand for the glass maker, or had the glass made for their stands - that is to say whether it would be described as a Homan piece, or something else - will require further investigation, but it does seem likely that you are looking for an American glass maker for the liner.

There are board members with a lot more knowledge on American glass than I have, so hopefully we will be able to find out more.

http://www.silvercollection.it/DICTIONARYADVHOMAN.html

[Paul S.]

Hi - welcome to the GMB  -  great piece, though I'm not sure which is the most attractive - the glass or metalwork, they're both very appealing.

[lesliec]

Thanks, Cat and Paul.

Yes Paul, the silver base is rather tasty, isn't it?  Quite heavy, too.

Cat, that was useful information about the pontil.  I hadn't realised they were sometimes polished smooth, but I suppose it should be obvious.  However, based on one source I found, that now starts to steer me away from thinking this is Fenton.  This is a good thing; I had this feeling Fenton might be more modern than I want to concentrate on.

Any other advice and suggestions will be most welcome.  I thought you might also be interested in the colours I get under UV.

Thanks again.