Topic: Three Pears Bowl - ID = Sowerby "Enid" pattern powder bowl

[Bernard C]

A mystery of wonderful quality.

Small acid-matted pink pressed glass three pears bowl.   Hemispherical, with three boldly moulded juicy-looking pears each complete with short pruned stem fragment (not how you harvest or prune pears) and three leaves, against an interwoven wattle fence background.   Unsigned.   Diameter 10.5 cm, height 5.9 cm, weight 270g (9½ oz).

Very fine detail, not British, probably French, Belgian, or other mainland Europe.   The masterful use of very thick glass in places for optical effect, together with the overall high quality looks to me school of Etienne Franckhauser, whose clients, according to Baker & Crowe, included Sabino, Hunebelle and Lalique.   Another feature in favour of a Franckhauser attribution is that each of the three side sections of the mould is different, with individual non-interchangeable vertical interfaces to each other, like his designs for Jobling's 2593 Three Graces comport and the random geometric Deco 2598 cigarette box and ash tray.

I've seen two others over the years, always a pure light pink.   One was fitted with a silver plated rim, either original or added to conceal damage.   I've never seen a lid, nor anything else in a matching pattern.

Any ideas?   I'll post photographs if no-one recognises it from my description.

... and, what is three pears in French?   My dictionary has gone walkabout.

Bernard C. 

[Sklounion]

Trois poires

[Bernard C]

Marcus — thanks.

Everyone — as promised I have put together some photographs.    I hope that the colour reproduction looks okay to you — it should be a light pure pink with no hint of amber or any other colour.

See Three Pears Bowl

Any ideas or comments?

Bernard C.  

[Glen]

Bernard - I wish I could give you a definitive reply as to the maker - but truth is, I don't have a clue.

I saw your posting on AuctionBytes and note that Lou said "it could also be Czech They did some fantasic intaglio work". Hhmn, well yes, they certainly did do some fantastic intaglio work, but this baby is cameo - and HOW.

It's a fabulous bowl, but I have not seen it before. I know of a number of fruity patterns that are cameo (mainly from US makers, but also one or two from Finnish makers) but they are not as massive in execution as your fabulous pink one.

[Bernard C]

Thanks, Glen, for your generous and helpful comments.

Your own and Lou's use of the words intaglio and cameo is completely new to me, as I understand these words as descriptive of cutting or etching production techniques, and have never used them in connection with moulded patterns.   I would have more naturally used incised and relief to describe the pattern on a finished product.

Using these words for both purposes could cause confusion.    For example, if the original artwork was a model from which the mould was cast, intaglio artwork would yield an intaglio finished product via a cameo mould.   If the mould was cut directly, intaglio artwork would yield a cameo finished product.

Bernard C.  :?  

[Glen]

Yes Bernard. Right on the nail.

I used the words cameo and intaglio as Carnival collectors do. Most Carnival patterns are cameo on the surface of the glass, as you say, in relief. Proudly moulded - as your three pears are. The pattern was indeed cut into the mould so as to appear proud on the surface of the glass.

The opposite is the case for patterns that are "near-cut" - intaglio - incised.

Quite astonishing really - I never cease to be hugely impressed and frankly amazed at the astonishing skill of the mould makers who cut these patterns (in reverse as well, don't forget).

Glen

[Connie]

I *think* that Lou was using the term intaglio to refer to glass where the design seems to be carved out from one plane of the glass- so the inside of the bowl in this case.

I can't tell from the photos but is the glass hollow or carved out in the pears and leaves? Or is it solid glass?


But I agree even if the pears are hollow this is much more than intaglio because the pears project out from the surface of the bottom side.

[chopin-liszt]

Hello Bernard et al.
From your picture, it is very reminiscent of my Jobling lampshade:-

http://tinypic.com/5bwlrr

The very strong and thick texture and the colour. My lampshade is smooth inside, but the roses and everything else stand proud. Like your bowl, bits are very thick indeed.

[Bernard C]

Connie, the glass is over ½" thick at the centre of the pears.   To put it another way, the inside of the bowl is a smooth curved surface, unrelated to the relief design on the outside surface.    Very much the same as your delicious Jobling Lambton Rose Pattern Bowl, Sue.

Bernard C.  

[Bernard C]

I am wondering whether it only being found in pink is related to the use of both thick and thin glass for optical effect.    Many colours would just not work properly.   Any thoughts?  

Bernard C.