Topic: HELP - Can you identify this Richardson England decanter please?

[RichTee]

Hi folks,

This is my first post, so hello everyone!

I have always loved antique glass and got a bit lucky the other day when I came across this cut glass decanter in a charity shop. - I paid £14.99 for it. 

There is a makers mark ( acid etched I think) on the underneath which reads - Richardson England and has the little Union Jack flag.
W.H.B. & J. Richardson (manufacturers) ? circa - 1850's approx

The decanter does not have a single chip on it anywhere, and it pretty heavy. Also there is a little number 2 engraved into the stopper plug, which bodes well for genuine?

However I cannot find another picture of this kind of barrel shaped decanter made by Richardson.

Either this is a rare example of work from this manufacturer, or it is not genuine and a copy - Though I doubt this.

Can any of you help please.

[Paul S.]

hello and welcome the GMB

I suspect that technically your decanter isn't an antique, in the usual sense of being more than 100 years old -  however a very nice piece, and one that deserves to be filled.

It is the acid backstamp showing the Union Flag which shows this to be a C20 piece  -  it would seem that their mark incorporating the flag started some time in the 1920's, and continued in use after they were taken over by T/Webb and then on until around the 1960/70 period, I think, although not too certain of the finish date.              This one might be anywhere during that entire period, and a rough idea of when might be indicated by amount of wear, internal staining and whether the cutting is sharp or not.               But your bottle is most definitely Richardson.

You should find a corresponding '2' somewhere on the lip or neck of the body, assuming this is the matching original stopper  -  stoppers often go missing and are replaced with substitutes although these rarely fit well, and then the Nos. either don't match, or one part lacks a No. completely.              These Nos. don't say anything other than that, if identical, then probably both parts started out life from the factory together.

Richardson glass is perhaps less common than much other C20 glass, and I wouldn't expect you to readily find another with the same design.                   In view of the lack of damage/wear, I'd suggest this one was made post 1945, and shape wise possibly a 'Prussian' - a shape common in the C19, and copied widely since.

If you go on line and punch in Richardson, you should find quite a lot of information regarding the mark and other history of the company.  

[ahremck]

Interesting I have the same decanter base but my stopper is different.  That suggests that one of us (or perhaps both) have the wrong stopper.

Ross

[Paul S.]

hi Ross  - we need the OP to give us some feedback on this matter of matching Nos. - and then we'll know, possibly, which of you has the correct stopper

[RichTee]

Hi guys

Thank you so much for your help.
I have checked the decanter stopper and inner neck and I'm sorry to announce that the numbers definitely match.
Sorry Ross it looks like you might not have the original one for yours.

So it appears that for under £15 I might have got a lucky find then.
Do I give it to my granny or do I sell it to a collector, that's the question.
Or maybe i should start my own collection. It must be worth over £50?

Thanks again

Richard

[Lustrousstone]

Nice as it is, I'm not sure 20th century decanters are that collectable

[Paul S.]

Whilst Lustrousstone's comments are true in general, there are some C20 decanters that can fetch big money, but you do need to know which ones to buy - hence the need to buy good books, and read them
Bottles from known designers - especially from the 1930 - 45 period - can be very desireable - those designed by Clyne Farquharson, for example, might give you very little change from £200 - £300 pounds.              I've added an example of his 'Kendal' from Walsh.

You have a quality bottle, so why not keep it and enjoy the piece - especially as it's in very good condition  -  next time you're in a high class department store, have a look and see what they charge for cut glass decanters.........it'll probably surprise you and you'll realize what a bargain you had  -  plus the money went to a good cause.          

[Anne]

Ross, does you decanter have numbers on the stopper and neck or not?

[Paul S.]

in view of the fact that Richard has matching nos., plus his bottle appears to have identical plain relief diamonds repeated on his stopper (think that's what I'm seeing)  -  suggests strongly that it's Ross that has the non-matching stopper, and any nos. - if present - will be different.
Quality bottles have nos. more often than not, but I'm sure this numbering is a C20 habit, not earlier  -  correct me folks if I'm wrong.

Usually, if you have only one bottle, and nothing for comparison, then without nos. it's often not possible to be certain that they don't match  -  although obviously if the nos. match. then you can be fairly sure the two parts left the factory together.               

Body nos. aren't always on the rim or neck area  -  they can be low down on the neck and even on the base, although I've a feeling that's a Continental practise possibly.

[Anne]

Yes, Paul, which is why I wondered if Ross's have any numbers at all.