Topic: J. Derbyshire uranium hand vase.

[Paul S.]

last one for this evening - and have to thank Marinka (heartofglass) for her contribution from back in 2007 for confirming this as John Derbyshire, first registered I believe in 1874.     Possibly the most difficult piece of glass I've tried to photograph, so apologies for the rather poor quality of definition of outlines.      Height is about 8.25" - 210mm.   Wear is almost non existant - which seems so remarkable for the probable age, although when this one might have been produced I really don't know.

[agincourt17]

The John Derbyshire’s ‘hand’ vase was registered on 3 February 1874 (RD 280197). It is supposed to depict a left hand grasping reeds or bullrushes.

The drawing of the vase in Jenny Thompson’s ‘Identification of English Pressed Glass 1842-1908’ and the photograph in Neil Harris excellent website
http://sites.google.com/site/molwebbhistory/Home/registered-designs/derbyshire-brothers-designs-by-date/derbyshire-brothers-1873-1874
both depict the decoration on the cuff at some variance with that on your photo. Jenny and Neil both show a cuff with plain overlapping loops, the panels in between been filled with tiny raised diamonds, whereas your photo seems to show a single loop or bracelet decorated with raised circular bosses , and raised  ‘tear drops on the rest of the cuff.

J.J. & T. Derbyshire registered a design for a ‘hand’ vase on 11 May 1872 (RD 262680).  This simply depicts a right hand (holding nothing) but with a cuff decorated with what appears to be a single loop or bracelet bearing raised circular bosses, and ‘tear drops’ on the rest of the cuff as on your vase. A photo of this vase bearing the appropriate diamond mark on the palm appears in Neil’s site at
http://sites.google.com/site/molwebbhistory/Home/registered-designs/derbyshire-brothers-designs-by-date/derbyshire-brothers-1870-1872

Perhaps Neil or someone else might know if your hand vase is some kind of hybrid or intermediate form, or perhaps some later ‘lookalike’. Presumably your vase is unmarked.

[Paul S.]

many thanks for your informative reply .
I was a little remiss in not including Marinka's original reply - together with her link to her collection of hand vases - as this might have been of help.         See here...  http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,17677.msg102551.html#msg102551
I did look through Thompson, and was aware of the Derbyshire design on page 41, which you mention - but the differences between mine and the illustration are significantly different (I thought) for me to conclude they were separate designs entirely.   Must admit I hadn't looked at Neil's site.
On mine there are no bullrushes - and instead there is an acorn and several oak leaves, although there are some rather long leaves which I guess could be interpreted as bullrush leaves.
Additionally, as you mention, the cuff decoration is completely different.

In the original post, in 2007 from Sue C, her pair of vases were the acorn sort like mine, and I can't imagine that Marinka didn't spot this when confirming Sue's pair as Derbyshire, first registered 1874.        You will see that Marinka comments that (at that date) she hadn't been lucky enough to find one of the acorn sort.

I did trawl my books, but was unable to find an example of this acorn type, so regret that my only knowledge of the fact that this one was attributed to Derbyshire, has come from Marinka's article in 2007.
Of course, much may have changed in the intervening period and there may well be lots more information on these hand vases with acorns.

I've now looked at the Derbyshire clear example on Neil's site  -  just a plain hand - but with cuff decoration very similar to mine.   Lets' see what Neil has to say, and thanks again.               I just wish the Victorians hadn't been so obsessed with hands

[neilh]

Roy sent me a photo of this one a while back and said it was commonly attributed to Derbyshire, but staring at all the evidence again this evening, I can't think why this model has gained that attribution. The base does not match either Derbyshire design. The hand does not match any Derbyshire design (it is curled round the vase here which the JD ones are not). The vase being held does not match any Derbyshire design. JD uranium pieces tend to be yellow rather than green. So all you can really say is that Derbyshire made hand vases and this example above is also a hand vase :-)

[Paul S.]

thanks for your reply - and seems then that we remain without a positive attribution.    I've not seen one of these acorn types before (or either of yours come to that), but having now seen both the clear hand and the bulrush hand - on your site - it does occur to me that there are design features on both, that appear on mine - and which might therefore suggest a possibly Derbyshire connection.
The half beading on the rim of the bullrush example, and the cuff design on the clear hand are both seen on the acorn example, and might have prompted people to make the connection with Derbyshire (particularly the cuff design which is very similar).     
There seems little help in the books - Hajdamach plays safe and shows just a bullrush example (with anchor), but both Lattimore and Slack omit any reference to hand vases.
In searching the links to this subject, I believe that Marinka had suggested, back in 2007, that she was contemplating a book on the subect of hand vases, but don't recall seeing anything more.