Topic: Bristol Blue - Original or Reproduction?

[goyjus]

Any thoughts?

[Ivo]

Cobalt blue and gold, always such a serviceable combination.  The lack of wear on the foot says "likely recent" - but nothing in this piece says "Bristol". Could be Czech or Portugese or French - or from Bristol....

[Paul S.]

As far as I know pieces coming out of......  http://www.bristolblueglass.com/    should have the dremeled backstamp, and as you don't mention a backstamp then almost certainly not theirs, but always worth checking their site just to make sure.      Failing which probably a non-starter as far as attribution goes.

[goyjus]

Thanks both for your posts.

There is some scratching to the base - probably doesn't show up on photo.

[Paul S.]

wear, or the lack of, is often a contentious subject - personally I'd prefer to see some - I then feel comfortable without it I'm forever wondering if something is modern.
your post must be one of the briefest texts we've had recently  -  and the reason for coming back is just to say that notice you don't give any dimensions......which is essential......no idea whether this is large or small.
Other clues can be useful too............is the top rim smooth or has it been ground/polished beveled.     As to age, wear on the extremities can help, sometimes.

[goyjus]

Hello again.

It measures just over 8in at widest and a just under 5in high.

The top rim appears to have been ground - it's even but rough-ish to the touch - though not sure how much this is to do with gold around the top.

Hope this helps.

[dirk.]

...or bavarian perhaps... Cobalt blue is quite a common colour there, too. 
How common is a grapes and leaves decoration on Bristol glass?

[Paul S.]

when talking of C18 glass   -   grape and vine decoration in the form of gilt on blue doesn't appear commonly  -  in fact rather sparingly, and when seen is usually in a more delicate and smaller format  -  unlike the wheel engraved version, which is seen very commonly on clear glass  -  however, suspect Dirk is referring to C20 glass only.

In the U.K., much of the C20 reproduction 'Bristol blue' seems not to have been decorated - the Hill-Ouston range for example appears to have been left plain.

Bearing in mind the shed loads of original (and later reproduction) Egermann flashed and stained material decorated with grape and vine, might that confirm the non-British origin of this piece

[Lustrousstone]

Bristol blue is a colour, so I'm not sure what is meant by 

C20 reproduction 'Bristol blue'

so called because the cobalt used to make it was imported via Bristol, though it was also probably used there in glass too

[Paul S.]

picking holes in my semantics??
I agree that the phraseology was less than good, but hoped the meaning might none the less be apparent.        I was trying to make a distinction between C18 Bristol blue - so called for the reasons you have indicated - and C20 blue coloured glass which  had nothing to do with Bristol (although we still call it Bristol blue).
My distinction was, as much as anything else, to simply separate old and new blue glass, and I chose the word 'reproduction' carelessly.
I agree that the name refers to a particular kind of deep blue, although it will always have an association with Bristol.    Why is Prussian blue so called??
My apologies to all those who may well be scratching their heads in confusion.

In my opinion, the size of the gilt decorated grape and vine on this piece suggests it's C20 Continental.

P.S.    My wife's left Bristol.................                     and gone to live in Hull           now watch that get rubbed out.