Topic: Sowerby Opal Vitro-Porcelain candlestick.

[Paul S.]

According to Sowerby's archives, this is their pattern No. 1351  -   it appears in the Thistlewood's Sowerby CD catalogue - Pattern Book XI of 1885, page 13 -  accompanied by a diamond lozenge, although the Registration details are too small to read.            Unfortunately, this piece is without any marks and looking in Cottle, he omits pattern 1351 (and the corresponding Rd. No.), thus making it difficult to find out the exact date this candlestick was first registered. 

Raymond Slack shows an Opal Vitro-Porcelain example like this one - he also reproduces a supplementary page from the Potter Gazette dated 1st November 1879, showing the same design in Queen's Patent Ivory Ware.         So the design appears to have been registered either during 1879, or possibly earlier.

Vitro-Porcelain was introduced in 1877, and I'm only guessing, but would imagine that Opal was first, followed by the other colours - including the reactive Ivory Ware.           This might suggest that pattern 1351 could have been registered as early as 1877 or 1878, at least in Opal first, prior to being made in Ivory Ware, and might even have been the first candlestck design in Vitro-Porcelain - but that's only my opinion.

According to the Pottery Gazette, a number of Sowerby's candlestick designs (including this one) were still being manufactured into the C20,
although this is the first that I've been aware of seeing, so maybe they fell victim to progress in the way of electricity and were binned, or suffered unduly from breakages.    I don't get the impression they've survived in droves.             The top separated branches must have given a few problems in pressing, possibly.

Height is 8.75" - (about 225 mm) - sorry it looks a tad dirty, I forgot to wash it.

I'm sure some of the pressed glass people will know the Rd. No. for this design, and I'd be interested to know the date, and thanks for looking

Ref. 'Sowerby's Ellison Glass Works  - Glen & Stephen Thistlewood VOL. Three.   CD Data.

        'English Pressed Glass 1830 - 1900'      Raymond Slack.

        'SOWERBY - GATESHEAD GLASS'  -   Tyne and Wear Museums Services Publication  -   Simon Cottle. 

[Lustrousstone]

Yours looks ivory coloured but Opal was white. Are you sure it's not Queen's Ivory? Have you checked? The 1879 ad in Cottle shows it in Queen's Ivory.

[Paul S.]

I edit my pix with Picasa, usually - although I try to keep colours as realistic as possible - plus it does need a good wash.
But the answer is that it's most definitely Opal  -  I have several pieces of Ivory Ware, and in the flesh there's a very real difference -  pic attached of Ivory ware, which is almost more of a buff cream than ivory, plus I don't think Opal is a white sort of white.        And this one gives a negative reaction to the torch.

Slack shows both Opal and Ivory Ware.

[Paul S.]

My comment that Slack shows a pic of Ivory was misleading........ what he shows are black and white pix plus reproductions of catalogue pages, and the colour is not remotley accurate.
Unfortunately, neither Slack nor Cottle show a photographic coloured pic of Ivory, although Slack shows one of Opal, the rest are just black and white pix.           However, both Raymond Notley and Lattimore do include a photographic pic of Ivory in colour.

I can't see the 1879 ad you mention, in Cottle - did you mean Slack??

There is a plate in Cottle - page 62 - which is less than useful for differentiating these Vitro-Porcelain colours etc..........the caption states colours shown are Turquoise, Blanc de Lait and Ivory Queen's Ware............and this is shown in black and white

[Lustrousstone]

Yes, sorry I did mean Slack

[Paul S.]

not true to say that Cottle omits the Rd. Nos - he's probably included virtually all of those ....  it's just that he omits many of the factory pattern Nos. from his list, thus making it impossible to cross check if you happen to have one of these missing pattern Nos. only, and you're without an Rd. No., as in this instance.   
         
However............ thanks to the kind people at Kew, we now have the answer, which is.............
Candlestick pattern No. 1351 corresponds with Rd. No. 328919 first registered on 7th November 1878, as can be seen from the drawing in the attached pic.          Unfortunately, virtually all of the decoration is omitted from the design drawing, but I don't believe this outline shape can be any of the other candlesticks.             If people disagree, please let me know.                  Pity the drawing wasn't made using black ink - this purple seems to be fading - thank goodness pix can be enhanced.

Kew references are.............Representations....BT 43/62, a very heavy volume that is suffering considerably from wear and tear, and pages are now loose, and paper is crumbling in places.         Can only hope they have taken pix of all of the designs.
The Register is  BT 44/7.