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Author Topic: Georgian Epergne  (Read 1648 times)

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Offline Antwerp1954

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Georgian Epergne
« on: August 28, 2013, 10:55:16 AM »
Hi

i've just acquired what looks like a Georgian glass épergne. It's only 15cm tall so would hardly be impressive in the middle of a table. However it has Georgian glass features

- folded foot and rim
- domed foot
- it's heavy and resonates when tapped
- the glass has bubble s and inclusions
- striated
- wear to base
- wheel engraved

I've tried to find out about GLASS épergnes in the Georgian period but to no avail. Is it an épergne?

Any ides?

Thanks

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Offline Antwerp1954

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2013, 10:56:04 AM »
And another image

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Offline Lustrousstone

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2013, 11:15:39 AM »
A picture of the whole thing to give an idea of scale would be good. The fern motif is Victorian though; pteridomania began in the 1830s and really got going in the 1850s

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Offline Antwerp1954

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2013, 11:23:49 AM »
Picture as requested

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Offline Paul S.

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2013, 01:17:57 PM »
hello and welcome to the GMB - good to have another collector of Georgian glass :)

Don't think I'd agree that this looks like a typical Georgian epergne.        Although we've become accustomed to thinking of epergnes as C19 table centre-pieces for holding flowers, their original use in the U.K., in the C18,  was for holding various dry sweetmeats.

The pix I've seen show them, as you'd expect, being heavily cut, and even adorned with drops - with the glass being much thicker.        As Lustrousstone has said, your wheel engraving of ferns is so typical of Victoriana - perhaps somewhere in the mid C19.            Regret I can see only one of your criteria' as being genuinely valid for Georgian glass - the others are features that might be found on glass from almost any period  -  and this is the folded foot.             The folded foot is most certainly from the first half of the C18, but I have my doubts that Georgian epergnes would have been given this feature, which was in essence an attempt (quite successfully) to strengthen the extremities of more thinly blown items such as drinking glasses, milk bowls, loving cups etc. (also applied to some very wide rims)
I suggest this epergne was made with flowers in mind, and would suggest that the folded foot is simply to strengthen the foot rim.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is much in the literature on Geogian epergnes - just the odd few paragraphs scattered around.

However, a nice piece of glass which has survived in one (or should that be two :)) piece intact for a long time - a good find. 

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Offline Antwerp1954

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2013, 01:28:34 PM »
So what conclusion regarding date?

If for flowers then why the bowl?

My view is 1830.

Folded foot revival in the 1820s
Fern engraving 1830+
Quality of glass with bubbles and inclusions pre-1830
Pontil not polished or ground despite there being wheel engraving (i.e. facilities for grinding to hand) indicates earlier than later

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Offline oldglassman

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2013, 01:47:27 PM »
Hi ,
           Is the foot fold on this folded up and over or down and under ,many later continental European 19thc pieces and 20th c pieces in the Georgian style have a foot that has an up and over fold,the metal especially the foot looks to be a bit bright and clear for early 19th but that may just be the photography.

   Cheers ,
                  Peter.

  oops forgot to say welcome to the forum and good to have another member interested in older glass

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Offline Antwerp1954

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2013, 01:52:23 PM »
Thanks for the welcome.

The foot is folded under.

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Offline Lustrousstone

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2013, 01:55:38 PM »
Quote
If for flowers then why the bowl?
For floating flower heads or fruit or sweetmeats

Quote
Quality of glass with bubbles and inclusions pre-1830
I think those are criteria that can be applied for very many years after that

Quote
Pontil not polished or ground despite there being wheel engraving
It's obviously not a high-class item and finishing the pontil mark would not have been the engraver's job, so why add the cost of another worker to the item when it's not necessary. These were piece workers don't forget

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Offline oldglassman

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Re: Georgian Epergne
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2013, 01:59:05 PM »
Hi ,
           Also a polished pontil under a domed foot is unnecessary there being no possibility of contact with the table .

   Cheers ,
                     Peter.

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