Topic: Stuart crystal Art Deco epergnes

[wurlitzer]

I've seen Stuart epergne and candleholder/centrepieces in a modern deco style with simple chrome arms fixed to a glass base by a nut and each arm holding a glass holder at its end. I've seen these with various cutting patterns/ shapes of holders and numbers of arms. Does anyone know if they made these in a two-arm version? Would it be possible to tell a two arm version from another larger version which was missing arms?

[Paul S.]

Stuart epergnes must constitute a gap in our education on the Board         I've looked at the catalogue pages donated by Ross also the Board's own Glass Gallery Crystal Patterns which includes a lot of Stuart cut designs, plus the much earlier ones supplied by Robert(bOBA)  -  but no joy in the way of epergnes, and only a few candle holders.

As simply a common sense suggestion, presumably if there was no indication of the absence of something i.e. holes etc., then the answer would be that you couldn't tell a two arm version from another that might have something missing, without comparison to a factory pattern book perhaps. 
Apart from the above catalogue pages, there is always this big problem with Stuart insofar as access to their major output of patterns is impossible unless you have the four volume catalogue which was produced some years back, and is now prohibitively expensive or simply very rare.               Am sure also that the commercial Replacements.com site is concerned with drinking glasses only.

If there is something specific that you have in mind/possession, then it would be of interest to post pictures here -  never know, someone might have the answer for you.                  Bearing in mind your location and the fact that Stuart had agents all over the globe it seems, I notice that for Oz there was a company by the name of Josiah Wedgwood who were in Sydney, Victoria and Melbourne  -  no idea as to whether they still exist or not.        Just mention this as possible there might be some source of information your side.

sorry this is of no help, other than highlighting our ignorance of Stuart epergnes

[wurlitzer]

Thank you Paul, as always. I do have a specific item in mind. I will hopefully purchase this piece this week and have a photo of it to add so I will do that asap.

[nigelbenson]

Hello,

There are 2 branch, 3 branch and 4 branch chrome epergnes by Stuart.

The two branch version is shown in the catalogue "Art Deco to Post Modernism, A Legacy  of British Art Deco Glass" by myself and Jeanette Hayhurst.

The two branch versions shown on page 10, have one branch lower than the other. If for flowers the glass 'cups' are longer, if for candles they are short. I've only seen the glass in two patterns, one of which is the Waterford pattern, designed by (and sometimes bearing the etched facsimile L Kny signature), The second is a alternating row of horizontal mitre cuts and vertical mitre cuts.

The four branch are two long ones and two short. There is another two branch that has two long branches with a glass centrepiece screwed to the middle using a metal attachment that has been fixed using Plaster of Paris.

As for whether a branch was missing, there would be evidence of cutting showing a different colour metal (probably brass) that would leave a long flat area where the missing branch would be. (I hope that makes sense). It is highly unlikely that someone would cut it off and have the evidence covered up by having it re-chromed at great expense.

I hope that helps, Nigel

www.20thcentury-glass.org.uk
www.glassassociation.co.uk

[wurlitzer]

Thank you Nigel! Yes it does. I bought the item in question. It's a two arm epergne by your description in the Waterford pattern. It has one holder marked with Stuart England and LKny and the other one just with Stuart England. The base is also marked Stuart England. When I get a good photo I'll post it.

[nigelbenson]

Excellant. Looking forward to photos when you've time 

Cheers, Nigel