Topic: large tear drop decorated vase. ID = Powell for Whitefriars pat no. M100 1931/35

[Paul S.]

Large tear drop decoration seems to have been a design feature certainly from around the early 1930's, and I thought this one had a good chance of being Whitefriars, but I've looked at catalogues from '31 and '38, and nothing like this.    Of course it might be from anywhere.   Height is about 7.5"/190mm  -  has one of those 'rings' to die for, but no pontil mark - with a mould formed base, showing the sort of wear that might come from the 1930's.      Most oddly, there is a diamond point scratched upper case 'S' (don't think it's a figure 5) on the base, and clueless about that  -  anyone any guesses.    Top rim is ground/polished/bevelled, and colour is a very rich amber/gold, with an attractive 'waisting' for the first 20mm of the rim.     Thanks for looking, and if anyone has ideas where next to look, please let me know.

[vidrioguapo]

Possibly Stuart?

[Paul S.]

thanks Emmi  -  didn't occur to me that it might be Stuart, mainly because I'm used to seeing a quality pontil mark on theirs, and although there's no doubt it's an 'S', wasn't aware that Stuart had ever marked like that.           I have access to some of Stuart's cut designs/patterns, and I've looked in Miller's, but bit of a blank really  -  there are just too few available images of Stuarts pressed/moulded products from that period.     Just as likely to be Continental I suppose.

[nigel benson]

Paul, you didn't look quite far enough on the pesky W/F's dot com site   http://www.whitefriars.com/isit_contents.php?pageNum_Mistaken=3&totalRows_Mistaken=77&ID=1212

To sum up, Powell/Whitefriars pat no. M100 1931/35 from unpublished design book  

Nigel

Edit: Nice find......when are you going pop it round ??

[Paul S.]

What can I say but a very big thank you Nigel for taking the time to run it down for me - those big tear drops had me convinced, originally, that it had a good chance of being W/Fs, but not seeing it in those 1930's catalogues left me thinking it was from somewhere else.     What do you make of the scratched upper case 'S' - possibly something from a previous owner, perhaps.
Foregive me - I will hang on to it for a while, but promise that when I part with it you will be my first port of call.
Sincere thanks again

[vidrioguapo]

Well done Nigel!  I was totally thrown by the "S" and didn't think to explore further. :thud:

[johnphilip]

W/Fs did use S for some seconds , had a few over the years and quite common on paperweights . Or could be S for sample if it is that rare . Ray was round at the weekend and used the word sample a few times talking about Isle of man glass .

[nigel benson]

A little story, hopefully to amuse:

I have to say this was remembered from a lesson given to me by that young Patrick Hogan chappie.

Two dealers, both of whom used to be based in Kensington Church Street, assured him his strange vase with horizontal tear drops most certainly couldn't be by Powell........one of them being, well, umm, errr,    ('Nuff said!!)

Some years later, having found the photos at the Museum of London, Patrick put them up on W/F's dot com. So, I would love to find one to remind me not to be so quick to dismiss things that, particularly in those days, used to turn up from time to time - certainly far more often than now!!

As for the 'S'; given the way it seems to be scratched/incised to the base, it suggests second, so maybe look for the imperfection?

TTFN, Nigel

[Paul S.]

thanks  - as for production flaws, there are some quite small stones plus two or three one millimetre stones/dirt particles within the glass plus some imperfections in the way of bubbles and surface pin prick defects.          There is a 2mm loss to the very end of the tail of one tear, and what looks like possible chatter marks at the rim (shortish broken line of very small dots about 8 - 10mm long) where the action of rim bevelling may have slipped possibly.    These may be subsequent wear and tear (no pun intended) of course.      Anyway, the suggestion that the 'S' might indicate a 'second' is quite plausible.

[chriscooper]

Picked this up with a couple of Whitefriars inkwells, similar 's' maybe ? or just wishful thinking.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I8YBgc9x48o/TqV2OCU8EAI/AAAAAAAATEE/2Ihm2bIB3TM/s512/SDC10576.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CXRrOArkBks/TupjnziQMFI/AAAAAAAAU7I/sxOlI2IMY10/s912/SDC10585.JPG

Chris