Topic: Victorian Glass Vase Raspberry Pontil S&W Rockingham / Thomas Webb OR Walsh

[glassobsessed]

A small vase with silver foil sandwiched between red and blue glass, 12 ribs, 8.5cm tall. The base with a very wide polished pontil mark. The combination of pale blue and red can make the inside look amethyst.

Much like the blue bowl 64 in Manley and this sold bowl appears to be the same pattern again:
https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/467337/stevens-williams-rockingham-bowl-applied-lizards-c1890

[chopin-liszt]

Gorgeous thing. I like how the blue lightens almost to clear too, over the ribbing.

[flying free]

It's lovely.  Is the bowl hollow right down to the foot?  It looks to have been made in one piece rather than an applied stem/foot. 
I'm just wondering about Webb Corbett right now but perhaps that's because the base colour looks amethyst like my bowl. 
My bowl and the other two which aren't amethyst interiors all have inordinately large polished pontil marks right to edge of the little foot on each bowl. They also all have this little curved integral foot and they remind me of the design of your (appears to be?) integral stem and foot. Yours reminds me of Webb Corbett in the making for those reasons.

Here is my purple one.  The others are both the same.
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,58232.msg361111.html#msg361111

Large pontil mark on this vase here too:
https://scottishantiques.com/art-glass/british/webb-corbett-agate-flambe/

[glassobsessed]

The blue is thicker between the ribs giving that stripe effect, although small the glass is fairly thick so it feels chunky and robust. It is hollow down to the foot and all one piece.   

Found it in a box of misc at a market last weekend, thought it was Loetz Argentan at first.

[chopin-liszt]

I know it's silver foil, not mica, but it has the same sort of feeling about it as the Sowerby Nuggets.
Small, but perfectly formed into a sculptural work of art.

[glassobsessed]

Both more than the sum of their parts.

Thomas Webb & Corbett was founded in 1897, does that tally with the style of these items do you think?

Adding a link to these two vases simply because they contain foil but this time gold, my guess at the time was Webb (not considered which Webb):
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,67853.msg377581.html#msg377581

Unfortunately the only photo I have of that pair.

[flying free]

Is the rim finish on that pair of gold vases a cut and polished rim?

[flying free]

Just for comparison  have you seen this D'Humy vase in the British Museum.  Described as blue I'm not sure what blue as it's in black and white.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1878-0413-2when

Edited to add - there actually is a pic of a handled beaker here from D'Humy and it's blue with gold stripes but doesn't look similar to your small vase:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1878-0413-16


I don't know if 1897 would tally with the ones with applied fish/lizards. I'd perhaps think they would be 1880s?  It could apply to your design because the shape isn't specifically indicative of a period is it?

I'm also now thinking M. Gulliver did have a Stuart pattern book or access to (perhaps it was a part of the Stuart pattern books?) I think as I remember Bernard mentioning something, so if they were Stuart he might have known that? hmmm. Possibly back to drawing board (although I remain convinced those feet, central base raspberry prunt and rigaree are Stuart  )

[flying free]

A small vase with silver foil sandwiched between red and blue glass, 12 ribs, 8.5cm tall. The base with a very wide polished pontil mark. The combination of pale blue and red can make the inside look amethyst.

Much like the blue bowl 64 in Manley and this sold bowl appears to be the same pattern again:
https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/467337/stevens-williams-rockingham-bowl-applied-lizards-c1890

I prefix this by saying I've no idea about ribs and whether they can help as a deciding factor on maker, but there is a Stuart vase in Gulliver (Victorian Decorative Glass) page 172 which is red with festoon scrolled rigaree plus prunts on the rigaree and plus three shell feet, which is quote 'formed from a mould with twelve shallow projecting ribs, and has the pontil mark covered by a clear glass raspberry prunt'

[glassobsessed]

The rims on that pair of vases are hot finished, grinding and polishing next to all that rigaree would be problematic I suspect.

There is a photo of the D'Humy blue: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/390792001

The vase has stripes in the foil but it is not obvious whether it has ribs (looks like not at first glance). They also have a close up photo of the rim and neck. Ribs are usually created by use of a dip mould or by being blown into a mould. A particular number is not much use for identification but could show consistency across a range of wares except when there is variation in size (more ribs would be needed to keep a consistent look as items get larger).

Ribs can also be made by picking up rods of glass on a blown bubble and then worked (maybe more of a Murano technique, thinking Seguso) very effective if you want ribs a different colour to the body of a vessel.

Mr Gulliver did have access to those pattern books, I remember asking him how he had identified a particular vase and it was from those books. How complete the books were? Not a clue.