Topic: Walsh opalescent thorn vase with flint feet

[Bernard C]

See GlassGallery file of four images, each with click image to enlarge feature.

H. 5¾" 14.6cm, w. 8¼oz 232g.

Note the clear dividing line between the opalescence at the thick base of the vase and the applied feet, showing that the feet are in plain flint glass.   I have also included a threaded shell / cornucopia posy on a mirror plateau (very like Silber & Fleming 5009 and possibly Walsh) in one of my photographs, as this also has a small rudimentary stem in flint glass, and both have this fiery opalescence.

I can understand all the opalescence in Walsh Canary Opalescent and these two pieces, as, if allowed to cool naturally, thicker glass like my shell posy, the base of the thorn vase, and where the pattern is in Opaline Brocade, would be able to slightly crystallise or "strike".   This is particularly evident on Dave's fabulous ewer/vase here, where the spout has been pulled so thin that the opalescence never had a chance to develop.

The puzzle is the band of opalescence two thirds of the way up my thorn vase.   Is this from reheating at the glory hole?   Is this the technique used to produce the banding seen on much Powell glass?

How does "straw opal" fit into this?   Does this term describe the banding effect or is it descriptive of the glass itself?

... and why the flint feet / rudimentary stem?   Was opalescent glass expensive?

Bernard C. 

[mrvaselineglass]

Bernard,
The only explanation I can think of on the opalescent band is that the piece had to be reheated to make the neck pliable enough to crimp and shape it, and it struck to opal at that point.

Regarding the shell:  I don't know if I have posted this before (senior moments suck), or if you missed it if I did.  Regarding the shell piece:  It has always been a mystery to me, until I saw this piece.  It showed up at our Dallas convention in 2010 and was for sale.  I turned down the chance to buy it ($500 USD), but another member did buy it.  As this is my picture, I have full rights to show it here, and I have permission of the current owner to use the photo any time I want.

In Cyril Manley's book, he shows a small pressed alligator and said that it was a Richardson mold, which later changed hands to Webb in about 1922.  I do not know when this whimsey was made, but it incorporates the shell with the alligator.  So....it is either Richardson or Webb, depending on who owned the shell mold. 

http://www.vaselineglass.org/alligatorshell.jpg

Dave Peterson

[flying free]

Dave I LOVE that piece    is it a salt?
m

[mrvaselineglass]

I think is fits the definition of 'whimsey' (or in the UK) a frigger.  I don't know if the shell has ever been collected by open salt collectors, as it is just kinda deep for a salt.  i think 'small posey vase' is a better descriptor for that form. 

I just wish it came up for sale when I had a little more money.  It won't be leaving the present owner's collection in my lifetime.  I did buy some nice pieces from the person who sold the frigger, and got them for a great price, so I can't complain too much.

Dave

[mrvaselineglass]

Bernard:  I forgot to comment on the last question on your post about the flint feet:  the vase itself looks like it is colorless glass with opalescent treatment.  Is it yellow canary glass or is it colorless glass?  If it is colorless glass, I may have a reason why there is no opal on the feet.  They applied the glass, quickly shaped it, and it was not put into the glory hole.  They used the same glass batch.  The feet could be applied without the piece being removed from the punty rod, just by adding some glass around the base, near where the punty rod was attached, then drawn out with wood tweezers to make the feet. 

Dave Peterson

[flying free]

I don't know what size dimensions constitute a salt, but ever since I looked up the crackle glass nautilus shells that Paul had (and which I now have  thank you Paul), I have thought these shells to actually be salts.  Obviously if the crocodile and salt are vast then perhaps not 
The ones I've seen are mostly in silver or plated but here are a pair which are silver and glass
http://lavinantiques.com.au/decorative/11-510.html
m

[Lustrousstone]

Straw opal is usually yellow (uranium) that's been heat struck in part. These opalescent bands are not uncommon in various colours of glass and I suspect they are deliberate. Arsenic or is it bone ash (can't remember without looking it up) in the glass I think causes the opalescent effect. Feet are not infrequently in a different glass. The thorn vase wasn't restruck by potting it in the glory hole to achieve the stripe; it's too localised. The bottom opalescence would be from the glory hole to reheat it before the feet were applied.
These have heat struck opalescence
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1126
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=831
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1498
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=822

And this looks related to your shell
http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1

[Leni]

Bernard, to see examples of this opalescence in many different colours of glass, (including some with clear feet and green bodies and some with clear bodies and green feet!)  You might like to look through my album here :

https://picasaweb.google.com/elaine.simons/TriffidsAndAudreys?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMG4ib6xwsbQSQ&feat=directlink

If you scroll down you will see I have pictures of three little thorn vases the same shape as yours (I actually have four, but one seems to have missed getting its picture taken!) but they are all in green glass and with different areas of opalescence. 

[Bernard C]

Thanks everyone for your replies.   This is complicated, and I can't concentrate with the National tomorrow, so I am going to leave this until Tuesday at the earliest.

Meanwhile, two requests for information:

Leni — re https://picasaweb.google.com/elaine.simons/TriffidsAndAudreys?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMG4ib6xwsbQSQ&feat=directlink#5433963621126332402

This looks like Walsh Rd 271422 of Feb. 21 1896.   Is it marked?

Christine — re http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1

This has an almost identical stem/foot to my shell / cornucopia — ribbed and twisted.   Mine has one thread.   Yours looks more, but then we only see one side.   How many threads?   If you look in S&F (early 1890s?) you will see an example of a seaweeded piece in their range of threaded that looks a perfect match to the seaweed on the cornucopia in Gulliver, now known for certain to be Walsh.

Has anyone ever seen a genuinely threaded piece that has more than one thread?

Bernard C. 

[Lustrousstone]

Just one thread, you can follow it top to bottom with your finger nail