Topic: Stuart Crystal comport, Reg.No.681649, 12th March 1921

[David E]

Found this at Newark last Thursday at a really good price.

Appears to have the Stratford rings around the base of the bowl, and is clearly marked RD 681649, which dates it to 12th March 1921. As usual with this enameled items, the cold painting has flaked a little in places, but overall not too bad.

[keith]

Looks like you had a good day, great finds,

[Paul S.]

great find David, congratulations   -  agree it's a shame some of the painting suffers on these enamelled items.

You're right about the original date of first Registration for 'Stratford Rings' design.         

According to Andy McConnell there were something like 600 enamelled designs introduced between 1928 and 1939, with Ludwig Kny being responsible for the mostly floral patterns until 1933 when Geoffrey Stuart provided the more fashionable Art Deco designs.          McConnell suggests that most of these enamelled patterns were in fact added to Stratford Rings shapes...................   anyway you only have another 599 to go

Date wise looks to be from somewhere between the late '20's and the late '30's, and always possible yours is one of the Kny designs, but that's just my opinion.

Although you don't give a size David, my thoughts are this is not a comport  -  do you think more likely a cocktail glass of some sort  -  which would fit in with the period ??               Of course, if it's nine inches across the top then you could be right

[David E]

Thanks for the extra info. No, it's far larger than it looks: 16.5cm (6½in) diameter and 17cm (6¾in) high! If not a comport then perhaps a sweet/bon-bon dish.

[brucebanner]

Looks like you have pattern 28376, minus the birds, here is one I found yesterday, part cut part etched.

3 1/2 inches in height, 4 1/4 inches across the rim.

The pattern looks cheap and rushed on mine.

[brucebanner]

Both of ours are described as sweet dishes.

[David E]

That's good - a comport would be larger and flatter, I suppose.

[Robin G]

Bruce Banner ( Chris Parry?) Sorry I don't know you all yet. Does your Stuart catalog have any pages of open salts? I have a colorful painted enamel one, maybe with Stratford rings. Tall flowers and butterflies. It is signed, and has RD 682592. I love it, can post photo if anyone is interested.

[Paul S.]

I think that's a good idea Robin.

682592 and 682593 were both Registered on 2nd May 1921, and presumably both were for protection of their 'shape'  -  the latter was a pickle with ground glass stopper and included 'Stratford Rings', and we have a picture on the Board's list of Registrations.            I have a Kew image of 682592. and this is described on the original factory drawing as a Sweet Dish - in fact it has a slightly flared rim shaped foot (minus any kind of stem), and again shows 'Stratford Rings'.            I can't seem to find a picture for it in the Board's Registrations section - but that means nothing  -  I seem to lose them, often!               I can't recall seeing the shape of 682592 previously - it may be a scarce shape, or perhaps I've just missed seeing on my travels, and perhaps it's common.

So it appears that your 682592 'open salt' appears to be a Sweet Dish - and if Fred tells me he doesn't have the Kew image then I can post that too. 
When you say signed Robin, assume your mean it has the period backstamp for Stuart, rather than someone's actual signature?

[Robin G]

Yes, Paul, backstamp. I don't think I'm the only American who equates that with a "signed" piece. I'll try to adapt to the nomenclature you use on this board. I had no idea all the RD numbers are illustrated and tabulated. Anyway, here is my little piece. After WW I  we salt collectors find that many companies continued to make these small items but didn't call them salts anymore, if they ever did. But we sure love to find them and the sizes relate well to other containers in our collections. This "sweet" is actually smaller ( at 2 3/8"h x less than 3"w) than many other items that different company catalogs call "salts".