Topic: Large Uranium Plate, Saw-Tooth Rim, Enamel Decorated

[KevinH]

For info:

In a google search the first in my list of hits that gave details about "bride's basket" was this  blog entry by Lidy Baars

And a site for the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives this entry, stating that the first use of the term "Bride's Basket" was in 1963.

[chopin-liszt]

Thanks, Kevin!

Pamela, I really don't know - I'm really curious now.
I had always thought that corners could give rise to serious stress risks, and these have a lot of corners.

I did find a very frilly, cornery piece myself recently, which surprised me because it is completely intact, but it's hot-worked from an intricate piece of pressed glass and it is big and square, so I don't think it's a bride's basket.
This is a fair bit of me being surprised at frilly, cornery bits being intact, there must be something special or different about them in a physical way, that allows them to survive so well.
Interesting. Very, very interesting!

[David E]

Thanks everyone for your input and in particular Pamela's point about why the plates are normally found intact. Could be the annealing that caused this   

Why decorate the centre so lovely and cover it up with something else, does not make sense, no good for hyacinths though

No, it's useless for bulbs – even an amaryllis! 

I personally think that it's the shape of the central portion that makes it ideal for a centrepiece. I have seen other glass and pottery pieces that are decorated in otherwise hidden areas, purely so the piece could be used without the centrepiece – often it does look rather odd when it's left undecorated, IMHO.

[Ohio]

OK I'll add a couple of things. Bride's baskets & bride's bowls are usually one-of-a-kind novelties made in at least American glass factories. In the U.S. they were made in almost every color of art glass and most have silver-plated holders with handles made by silverplate manufacturers, many of which did not produce the glass bowl inserts. They were especially popular about 1880 when the decorated basket was often given as a wedding gift, however lost favor by about 1905. Now the term may be American, however its been around (at least in the U.S.) a whole lot longer than just 1963 from some on line dictionary. We have catalogs (especially from Pairpoint) dating to 1894 that shows the combo glass & silver sets used as just about anything you wished to use iit for, centerpiece, gift, whatever. These were wildly popular in the U.S. & just about every silverplate manufacturer & quality glass manufacturer made the silver basket portion & the art glass bowls...all you had to do was match the bottom base diameter of whichever bowl to the base diameter opening of whatever silverplate basket. It was not rocket science & they were relatively speaking common. There were hundreds of possible combinations, but again thats speaking of the U.S. as I assume since not many of you had heard the term Bride's Basket they were not popular or a numerous in Europe which admittedly makes sense as I've never encountered a European manufacturer's name on a silver basket. Art glass bowls are different however as I find them all the time with "Austria" markings on the bottom of the base. Here are three more I have & again they are relatively common over here. It just shows the differences comparing periods of glass & usage of same in different global areas.

[pamela]

Thank you all for this information!

I try to explain what I meant with 'tension' due to manufacturing process.
As far as I know this frilling is not done with tongues. Firstly the plain rim of a plate, while still hot, is pressed between two circular 'combs' forming the small frilling; second step are two combs with just four, five, six or more teeth with result of such larger ups and downs of the already frilled rim. Returning the bowl to the glory hole could remove the tension but at the same time would soften the crispy frilling and if any - fine sablé pattern. Very slow annealing is essential of course, but the glass (metal) is and remains really stressed.

first step result (Fenne)
second step result (Radeberg)

Fact is that you can put two bowls of the same pattern of the same maker onto each other because the combs produce always the same frilling.

[chopin-liszt]

 

You have shown images of something that is incredibly like the square plate I found and mentioned earlier, Pamela.
I really hadn't hoped for an id, but perhaps you do know who made these plates, Pamela?
I'm a little confused between one image being Fenne and the other Radeberg - the pressed pattern on the plate is pretty much the same, just not going up to the edges and the base is different.

The one I have is uranium glass, the pressed original must be the same as the one in the second image, but it is a different shape (square) and the frilliness is different. (Adding support to the "twice combed" information you have given us.  )

[pamela]

Sue, please post an image of yours - hopefully I can identify it for you 

[chopin-liszt]

I do have to get the camera out and make a few bits of glass smile for it.
Tomorrow.
Keep your fingers crossed there is some light in the sky!
Thank-you so much, Pamela.

[pamela]

That's fine, please post in a new separate thread, I do not wish to hi-jack David's 

[David E]

Thanks Pamela. One difference I have noted is that both your examples are pressed glass, where as mine is blown having a ground pontil mark. So once the disc of glass was formed, I imagine this would have been formed/pressed onto a single mould. Or was it blown into a 2-part mould?