Topic: Waterford Cobalt Blue Vase ID = *Watford* not Waterford

[Ming]

Last week l found this small antique shop in Wales while l stop to spend a penny. On the top shelf l saw this Cobalt Blue vase and my heart nearly stopped. I recognised this vase from one of the 20thc Glass book. It is a Waterford. Its such a lovely cased vase with two fish cut on both sides. I only paid low tens for it. It would cost at least 5 times at auction if it ever turn up.

[Ming]

Here is the inside view.

[Anne]

Ming that's gorgeous! I love the Waterford blue cut to clear... my mother has a Waterford blue cut to clear decanter which is fab!  :mrgreen:

[keith]

Great piece,I presume the Chance glass was in Wales also :cry: :cry:

[nigel benson]

Hi,

Despite what is written in a number of books, this is not a Waterford vase. It is however, by Watford Crystal.

It became Waterford through a mistake that wasn't picked up until after printing in Jeanette Hayhurst and my catalogue on British cut glass "Art Deco to Post Modernism, A Legacy of British Art Deco Glass". The mistake is continued in other publications.

Nigel

[Ming]

Thanks Nigel. But l am surprised this vase was produced by Watford Crystal. It is such a high quality vase and never cross my mind that Watford is the mader.
Nigel. Do you know anything about Watford Crystal? Is the date C1960 about right for this vase?

[johnphilip]

Hi Ming i have friend who was a cutter at Watford crystal they bought a lot of blanks from Whitefriars , i will have a word when he comes back from his holiday .

[Ming]

Thanks. johnphillip.
It would be nice to know.  Watford is one of the glass firm not many of us heard off.

[nigel benson]

In the aforementioned - very useful -  catalogue the caption says:

"Deep Water", vase engraved and cut with swordfish swimming amongst reeds,c1959, 10 1/2 ins. Illustrated in a Waterford advertisement, Pottery & Glass February 1959.

NOTE: The caption was incorrectly written in the rush to get everything ready for printing for the opening of the exhibition. Oh how our errors can follow us around!!

Nigel  

PS. Some years prior to the exhibition and our research, I sold one as Webb Corbett, reasoning that the form was similar to others found with their mark. Buying in blanks, as John has discussed, is unlikely to have been limited to Whitefriars, but little is known about the detail. N.

[Anne]

Ooooh that's interesting, Nigel! Mum's is Waterford as it was bought from them by an Irish auntie. It's the same fab blue. We have 2 Watford Glass adverts (not brilliant quality scans though) in GlassGallery but other than those I've not seen much more about them. (They did trinket sets though, hence my interest!)
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-15146
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-15148