Topic: Whitefriars? Large glass Vase similar to shoulder Vase signed William Butler

[chriss]

Hi this glass is quite large, it's just over 8" tall, nearly 9" wide and up to 5" deep. It's not symmetrical, and is in a blue (which is encased in a clear blue towards the base) with random  black speckle inclusions throughout which to me, look like soot deposits. The 2 middle images are truer to the actual rich colour of this. In the polished Pontic mark, there is a clear hand signed signature of William Butler, with a fainter hand signed William Butler signature offset below that. To me, this looks a lot like the shoulder Vase minus he vertical decor? It's a heavy item, my luggage scales make it 3.8 kilo. I've tried to find William Butler signatures on the internet as I know William Butler worked at Whitefriars in the 30s and 40s and this definitely has the look of Whitefriars to me. Can anyone help me with info about it please? Thanks

[chriss]

Here's the base with signature as I was restricted to 4 images 😀 These are also true to its actual colour.

[Marc1976]

Not something I'd recognise as Whitefriars. As you've pointed out Butler worked at Whitefriars in the 30s-40s, the shoulder was designed by Baxter in the late 60s as you probably know.

The colour is nothing I recognise either. They did do blues in the butler era but they were different to the blues shown.

Hopefully Nigel or someone else with real knowledge can comment, but that's my thoughts.

[chriss]

Hi thanks for your reply 😀
I don't know where William Butler worked before or after Whitefriars, as other than his Whitefriars period, I can find nothing about him, but I've seen images of his signature on the internet (but I can't find them at the moment 😂) and it appears to look the same!
Yes, Baxter designed the shoulder Vase in the 1960s which was neater, more balanced and textured, but to me, it loosely or slightly resembles the shoulder vase?

 http://www.whitefriars.com/contents.php?ID=150

If the signature (and the glass) is right, he thought enough of this piece to sign it, maybe it's an experimental piece?

Could the blue glass be blue cloudy glass please? 

http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/image/143274/james-powell-and-sons-whitefriars-ltd-vase-in-blue-cloudy-glass-20th-century
Thanks for your help
Chriss