Topic: Fern engraved storage jars storage jars?

[bat20]

Hi all,I found these two jars over the weekend ,about 6" ht,they are slightly different from each other with polished pontils,but exactly the same size rim maybe made for a cork? Anyone know what they were made for,thanks.

[Lustrousstone]

More likely a drop over metal or glass lid. Victorian anyway

[bat20]

Thanks Christine,i think they must have been in a shed for most of their life,they had hardened dust on them and have hardly been used,I did ask the seller if there was a lid with them,but sadly no.

[brucebanner]

This pteridomania style stretched on into the 1930's I have three Victorian looking etched and engraved pieces dated 1910 1922 and 1936 the style is a rough guide not a dead cert.

[bat20]

These have the grey colour Chris and I get the feeling screw tops might have replaced these,but I don't bet on anything in the glass world,out of interest are your later ones brighter glass.

[brucebanner]

No for some reason 30's blown glass is real grey, I think screw tops date back well into the 19 century, 1850's. I tried a while ago to date glass by collecting dated pieces be it rd marks coins in stems lozenge marks or engraved dates and depending on who made the glass which area and the mixes involved has a big effect on the colour, I picked up some fininish shot glasses very grey I n colour fern etched that date to the 60's, after 247 dated things the clearest old glass I have found is the Stourbridge glass from the 1860's, but my tiny collection is nothing to the thousands of millions made.

[bat20]

Interesting stuff Chris,which makes me even more intrigued to what they were for.

[Paul S.]

I did wonder if there was some connection with the world of leeches, but they're much larger than the usual leech containers we see here so presumably not.           Perhaps the covering was in the form of a waxed paper held on with string  -  I'm having trouble imagining a tin lid.
Of course, if they've never been used then that's a hindrance  -  use often leaves traces of wear and helps sometimes to understand intended purpose.                           You would think that if cork bungs had been used then some trace of wear on the inner part of the neck would be visible.
I've been through two volumes of S. & F., but doesn't seem to have helped.

Chris - is it possible to see some pix of your C20 pteridomania pieces, please - no hurry.

[brucebanner]

Yes will put some on in due course, I'm pretty sure two have not been packed away, I'm wary of putting too many pics of things on here for fear of getting on everyone's nerves, I've found some lovely things recently most I  can I d myself, my long suffering wife has set me a limit of 500 things in the house at any one time, my glass collection is always changing, when I hit 500 I have a clear out and store what I pack away.

[bat20]

Have to agree the lack of wear in this case is annoying Paul,I'm sure if they were well used there'd be a clue or two.Don't worry about getting on people's nerves Chris I think I've driven most of them on to Prozac already.