Topic: Cranberry glass spoon warmer or HUGE salt in EPNS stand engraved reg design no

[flying free]

oooh of course, yes it is.  In which case maybe I need one of those shovel shaped spoons to go with it rather than the tongs.
m

[Lustrousstone]

You obviously weren't brought up with a coal fire. You used coal tongs for topping up.

[flying free]

oh I was   but only when I was  very young so I've never known the ins and outs of what the utensils were used for.   I remember the coal shed and deliveries which were always very exciting.  We had a hangy thingy with all the bits on I do remember.  Indeed I've just remembered  we had a hangy thing here (belonged to OH's parents) until a few years ago when I sold it.  Now we have a wood burner so no need for tongs.  We just have a poky thing  now
m

[Andy]

I think spoons, and coincidentally   I have some old family ones ive been meaning to put on ebay for ages
epns going cheap  

Its an interesting design shape, worth checking it out, its saying Christopher Dresser to me  :thup:
That would be nice !
Andy

[flying free]

Andy it would be lovely if it were Dresser, but having investigated that option on something else in quite a lot of detail, I don't think it is.
It's of the period, probably inspired by some of his design ideas, but I think if it were a Dresser design it would have more markings on than just EPNS. I suspect the silversmiths he worked with would have definitely put their marks on there as well.
Thanks though  :thup:
m

[Greg.]

Hi M, just saw this thread which has some similarities (not completely sure they have the same purpose...?)  -Don't think a final conclusion was reached regarding its use/purpose.....

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?topic=13730.0

[flying free]

Thanks Greg yes I did 
Shape is the same, but the size is very different.
I also took on board Christine's observation on rereading it though, and something that had occurred to me looking at silver spoon warmers, there is no lip on mine either.  Whilst I don't think the spoon would fall out of mine because of the angle and the size of the piece, I'm not sure really it would make an ideal spoon warmer - the water wouldn't stay hot long enough.
Maybe the registration number will throw up something completely different but I'm going with sugar lump holder for now 
m

[Paul S.]

Unfortunately, The National Archives results are not as helpful as we might have wished.    You can see from the Register entry that this item is showing as Class 1 (metals) and is being called a 'Set' - the metal appears to override the glass when being classified.   
I think that the Register entry is legibile, although I know nothing of Allen & Smith, but there may be information on this company of electro platers on line somewhere m.      So still don't know who made the glass portion, and nothing in the Registration to indicate what use this was intended for  

[flying free]

  thank you Paul!
that is so kind of you.  Well, I think that there have been previous glass items registered in the metals section - perhaps the design was originally done by the metal company and the glass was made by ....name your choice...i.e. whoever they had a deal with to supply it to fit their metal design.
Or, it was deliberately registered under metals to avoid competitors seeing a newly registered design maybe?  I have also read that had happened.  However given it was the metal work company who registered it I'm inclined to think it was their design originally and they commissioned the glass to go in.  Nice that the glass has the rd no engraved on it though. I think that is quite unusual.
Well, I'm going with sugar and thank you so much, it is fascinating to see the drawings of it as well.
I've found a James Allen and a Robert Catterson-Smith in Birmingham.  I'll investigate further.
m

[Anne]

M, this page has some info and a photo about the Allen of Allen & Smith:

He was a Birmingham Silversmith and also in business, Allen and Smith, (Brierley Street Birmingham) as an electroplater.

http://www.allen-family-tree.co.uk/william-h-allen.html