Topic: Heppell? Shell Pattern Sugar

[thewingedsphinx]

I would be very grateful for some opinions on these shell pattern Malachite sugars.They are unmarked and can also be found in brown purple ( we have some in our collection) Malachite. I’ve not been able to find much about these apart from a worthpoint website capturing a previous sale of these and referenced as W H Heppell.
If they were Heppell shouldn’t they have a Lozenge or could they be Davidson. I really don’t know much apart from them being fairly rare.
Cheers Mike

[MHT]

Hi Mike
Never seen them in green or blue malachite before.
I have a pair in purple/brown malachite, always assumed them to be Davidson possibly from an earlier Hepple mould.
Sorry, not much help I'm afraid but the blue and green malachite pairs you have are certainly rare.

[thewingedsphinx]

Thanks Mike, for responding.
We like your website by the way, my father was most impressed when I showed it to him, time considering I hope one day to do a similar website to show my folks collection. Probably a winter project ( several winters probably)

Cheers Mike

[agincourt17]

This particular 'shell' pattern sugar has already been discussed at some length on the GMB at
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,64003.msg358605.html#msg358605

Roy sent me a photo of a similar item (also unmarked and in purple marbled glass) some time ago, though Roy described it as a sugar bowl.
The shell design of the bowl is similar to that of the Heppell RD 374437 set of 6 December 1881 (comprised of a sugar bowl, creamer, and covered butter dish) - also often found unmarked as Davidson pattern number 190 from their unregistered designs 1880-1890. I've seen the Heppell/davidson set in purple marbled glass and in white opaque glass.
There are several differences, however, between the Heppell RD 374437 sugar bowl and your piece. The Heppell sugar has a domed and ribbed oval foot, whereas your sugar has a rectangular foot with grooves running from the corners to the centre. The coils on the 'shell' bowl of your piece have numerous additional horizontal ribs, whereas the Heppell sugar has coils that are basically plain but are separated into three groups by two widely spaced cross ribs.
So far, I have only seen pieces like yours in purple marbled glass, and I haven't any other shapes in the pattern.
Sadly, on the evidence so far, I think that your shell vase (might it be a small sugar bowl?) will have to remain unattributed. Another case of an undocumented Davidson unregistered design or just perhaps opportunist design plagiarism?

This is the first time that I too have seen the pattern in a colour other than purple marbled.

Fred.

[thewingedsphinx]

Thanks Fred,

Here is a link (spoon warmer) ? This is the only thing I could find.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/h-heppell-co-slag-malachite-glass-268490554
 

Thanks Mike