Topic: Faceted Regency salt or sugar.

[Ekimp]

Got this a while ago but nearly left it on the shelf as at first glance I assumed it was pressed, but every surface has been cut except for the inside of the bowl. I think it shares design aspects with the items from the Webb Richardson pattern book c.1830s, shown on pages 46 to 50 in British Glass by Hajdamach. I don’t think it would look out of place on those pages, especially Plate 37, the ‘Sugars’. I’m not sure how big a ‘Sugar’ is, but possibly bigger than my bowl, which maybe a salt. I think the cutting has a bohemian look (to my eye ) but am sure it is English. It is 95mm tall.

[NevB]

It certainly looks similar to the sugars, it's a pity Hajdamach doesn't show the other 180 or so other designs he mentions. I think that at that time sugar was not granulated but was taken as small lumps broken off large lumps using a sugar hammer, so the bowls needed to be larger than salts, so I think yours is a salt.

[Ekimp]

Hi, yes, I think you’re right regarding sugar, understand that’s why you get the scratches in old rummers from crushing the lumps of sugar. You’d imagine there were salts to a similar design as the sugars illustrated on other pages, frustratingly unpublished. I’ve thought more than once that it’s a shame the whole pattern book isn’t shown 

I think this is the pattern book in the Dudley Archives, so should be available to have a look at: http://archives.dudley.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D7%2fY3%2f23&pos=1

[NevB]

It doesn't seem to be viewable online, which is a pity.

[flying free]

the foot is quite similar to the foot shown on plate 37. No 2331 (middle row second down from top) and also the item on the left 2330. 

[Ekimp]

Yes, especially the one on the left with the single knop. That one looks hexagonal with a six point star in the base. And the one at the top in the middle has a similar but slightly more complex rim. Hopefully the full pattern book will be digitised sometime and made available.

[flying free]

hmm, I can't see that happening anytime soon.  I believe the pattern books from S&W are huge.  Digitising them might take years.