Topic: Victorian Port/Sherry Glass

[NevB]

This characterful 12cm. tall glass has a clear foot and teal green uranium bowl. It has a "T" shear mark, tool marks on the rim and lots of bubbles and wonky bits. It isn't lead crystal. I thought it might be regency when I bought it but now think it's around 1865-70 but maybe as late as 1900.

[Paul S.]

The 'green' wines (intended originally for either white wine or pale sherry) that were made commonly in the last quarter of the C19 were a much deeper green that this one, and they didn't include uranium - they are not too difficult to date  -  if there's a collar (under the bowl) then the suggestion is c. 1860 - 80  -  and if lacking the collar then probably later..........    this is according to the thoughts of Chairman Mark West, and I wouldn't question his authority.
Reidel is credited with the modern take on adding uranium to the batch - c. 1830 apparently - which would put it a little later than Regency  -  I've not yet heard of any Regency (technically 1811 - 1820) glass glowing.            Seems the Romans used it a bit earlier.
I forget now, and don't have his books, but Barry Skelcher probably mentions somewhere when u. glass might have been used in green glasses like the one here.

This glass (or set) might possibly have been made for white wine or sherry - difficult to tell now  -  going back a few years green glasses of some shade, and the dark green ones - could be found at boot fairs commonly in various shades of green  -  the variation in colour, decorative embellishment, size etc. is massive.            IMHO I'd be inclined to go with last quarter of C19 for this piece, that's assuming it has a decent amount of wear, then again that's an unreliable feature  -  it might be somewhere in the first quarter of the C20.

Are you happy the glow here is u. and not something else?              As a general off the cuff comment, I tend to think of sheared glasses as being inferior to those that have been attached to the pontil rod - snapped - and then had the scar ground/polished to create a depression.

[NevB]

Thanks for your thoughts Paul, as I said I think it could be any time between 1865-1900. It doesn't seem to have any wear on the base but it is so uneven it's difficult to tell, generally it is poorly made, but that's its charm. It's definitely uranium, I've added a better photo.

[Paul S.]

thanks, yes, that looks better.           These things are mega vague in pedigree, and chances of finding maker or origin are just about zero - but always useful to have.

[NevB]

It's difficult to photo but it also has a distinct U-shaped gadget mark which would be contemporary to the T mark. P.35 of Hajdamach shows a gadget which would fit the bill. The open end of the U is at the bottom of the foot in this photo.

[Paul S.]

looks good  -  amazing how we've cracked this technical term, now  -  the years I spent telling everyone it was on the underside of the foot         I still don't think it's easy to narrow this feature to a particular decade - like so many trade/craft practices, this one may have gone on for longer than we might think.

[NevB]

I didn't mean the underside of the foot, the gadget mark is on the top of the the foot with the open end of the U at the bottom of the photo 

[Paul S.]

yes, you were correct  -  I was referring to my own gaffes, not yours.

[Ekimp]

It’s nice to have the gadget mark, I have a similar style glass with a coloured bowl (not uranium unfortunately) and clear stem with a nice gadget mark on the top of the foot.

I still don't think it's easy to narrow this feature to a particular decade - like so many trade/craft practices, this one may have gone on for longer than we might think.

I’ve just been looking for something that might be Whitefriars and had a look through the pamphlet  “Whitefriars 300 years of glassmaking” that came with my copy of Jackson. In there there is a photo of the top of a glass being trimmed with glass makers shears and the glass foot is being held in a gadget. From the stem, it looks like the glass is from the Embassy range, so c1940s!

[NevB]

I have some "Green Goddess" liqueur glasses some of which have T marks and what appear to be gadget marks which could be from 1920-50, I'll post them when I've done a bit more research.