Topic: S&W "Dolce Relievo" Cameo Glass cup and saucer

[flying free]

ok, I have an update for the Grover and Grover comments (my underlining in Christine's quote below)
CH British Glass 1800-1914 (2009) says of S&W
Dolce Relievo was introduced in 1884.  (see post earlier for the full paragraph where there is no description of the background of the pieces at that point)
He goes on to say later in that section
'Engraving skills developed on rock crystal glass were often transferred to cameo decoration.  One specific technique was the chipped, hammered or 'pecked' background which appears as a frosted or cracked surface.  Production was low because it involved chipping the glass against a rotating S-shaped metal tool, fixed on teh end of a spindle and set in an engraving lathe.  In the Stevens and Williams books this decoration, patented as a 'chiselled' ground, first appears as pattern 12981 on 24 September 1887(Colour Plate 18)'

'According to Grover and Grover  talking about Stevens and Williams in English Cameo Glass "Dolce Relievo was the soft sounding name given to beautiful vases with an ivory coloured body and an outer casing of different colours, generally light purple or cream. They were decorated in low relief by the various etchers. Coloured casings were used on light backgrounds, with the ground 'peckled' or 'chipped' and the design in relief in colour. Silver mounts were used on many pieces, done by silversmiths of Sheffield or Birmingham."'

So, from CH's book it is seen that Dolce Relievo pieces without the peckled/pecked backgrounds were produced between 1884 and 1887.

No update on the colour yet.

[mom2esf]

That's very interesting.
So, if that is correct this was made between 1884 and 1887. That should narrow the search a bit.

B

[flying free]

no
if that info in CH's BG is correct and it turns out this piece is by Stevens and Williams then it could have been made between 1884-1887.  However there is nothing to say they didn't still make pieces without the peckled/pecked/chipped background after 1887.
All the information does is prove that there could have been some Dolce Relievo pieces without the pecked background, whereas the Grover and Grover article seemed to say that for it to be Dolce Relievo, it had to have the pecked background. ( I hope I understood that correctly Christine?)
m

[mom2esf]

OH….. oops. Of course, I should have realized that.

B

[Lustrousstone]

We're just going round in circles really. Interesting the original seller said "Steven and Williams technique". There was no real attribution

[flying free]

Yes, except that it establishes that Dolce Relievo pieces can be made without having to have a pecked/peckled background.

And yes re 'technique'.  A match is needed.  I think lots of it 'points' to Stevens and Williams but there are no exact matches to any of it and the pink is still an issue.
m

[mom2esf]

Yep.
 I think this couple and many unsuspecting people like them were taken to the cleaners by a lot of unscrupulous antique dealers in the 1980s.

[flying free]

It is a very beautiful piece and very beautifully made.  Cameo was/is not 'easy' to make for a variety of reasons.
Hopefully someone will be able to help more with identifying it for you.

In the meantime, it sounds 'picky' since your photographs are lovely,  but can you try and get photographs against a plain white background and also include some very clear close ups of the decoration.  That might help establish whether it is two or three layers and also how the decoration was actually done.  Also do you have a UV blacklight? if you do, it could help establish whether the white base is uranium glass or not.

It could also be worth contacting the V&A or The Corning to see if they can give you further help.

m

[mom2esf]

I can bring the piece home on Tuesday to take photos. My husband is a professional. I just took those with my iPad.
It does make me nervous to move something that valuable….

I have contacted a few museums and dealers in my time and I find they are 90% not interested in helping unless there is a LOT of $$$$ involved. I will take your suggestion to heart though. What is the V&A?

B

[flying free]

yes I know always tricky.  I try and have my wits about me when photographing and make sure I put it away again immediately just in case.
I don't know how valuable it might be, but it is beautiful and unusual.  And it needs to make the right price for what it is, so perhaps just needs a bit more investigating.

The Corning might be your best bet to try and see if they 'recognise' it or are up for helping id it.  Otherwise the V&A is the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  The contact for the 'glass' section should come up on their home page on the site.
I've just been through the Bonhams search for Thomas Webb and Stevens and Williams and nothing similar has come up unfortunately.

It would be nice to see some more close up pictures though to get more detail.
m