Topic: Registered design 29th May 1872 Manchester opaque blue Dolphin Oil lamp base

[thewingedsphinx]

Would be grateful for any help with this Registered design 29th May 1872 likely Manchester opaque blue Dolphin Oil lamp base.
I don’t seem to be able to find it in the national archives although the lozenge is class 1 for metal rather than glass and very clear.  It’s of a similar appearance to a Vaseline piano insulator I have.

 if you google “London dolphin lamps” you’ll see ones on the river thames that this pattern is based upon which makes me think of Derbyshire landseer lions etc and the Sphinx and cleopatras needle on the embankment. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_lamp_standard
Thanks Mike

[flying free]

I'm a bit confused.  If the lozenge is class 1 for metal, then couldn't it relate to the metalwork that went with the lampbase?
If so, then the lampbase glass could have been from anywhere including imported couldn't it?  Plenty of silver and silver plate stuff was marked with English maker makers but put onto Czech handblown glass for example.

m

[thewingedsphinx]

Yes I know, I’m confused too that’s why it’s interesting . But on another hand we have an oil lamp which would have been sold as a “Brinks”oil lamp because of the burner mechanism and possibly because they assembled it all together  but the base and font were unmarked and made by F C Osler. Osler also let the same base be used by Samuel Clarke’s Fairylamps “ multiple fairly lamp stand like a candelabra which would also have been sold as Clarke’s not F C Osler. So perhaps the lamp had to have a class 1 mark on it for the maker of the Burner ?.. I guess. The blue colour is quite unusual and similar to rare Manchester pieces like James Derbyshire and Ker and Webb, before John Derbyshire who started marking his pieces from 1873.
 Still confused Mike

[flying free]

Actually I didn't think that through - the reg mark is on the glass whereas on blown pieces it would be on the metalwork.  Hmmm.

I know it's been discussed on here before that sometimes glassmakers regd under the wrong class - I can't remember whether it was mooted that this might have been to avoid competitors copying designs or something?  So perhaps it might fall under that reason.

That blue is pretty lovely and distinctive.  I couldn't find any other examples searching online for it.  Do you have any other examples in that blue?

m

[flying free]

The dolphin modelling is quite unusual.  The snout is unusual. The ribs on the lamp remind me of I think some pressed glass from Buquoy. And I'm also thinking Jasmine vases here where I think they had this ribbing.
The blue is like a French blue called Bleu Drapeau.

There is this version of dolphin from Meyr's Neffe that has a similar snout for example although the rest of the dolphin isn't the same modelling around the face. Hard to tell definitively as your photos aren't close enough and the Pressglas Korrespondenz is slightly out of focus when enlarged: 

 seite 46

https://www.pressglas-korrespondenz.de/aktuelles/pdf/pk-2002-4w-sg-buquoy-glashuetten.pdf

[thewingedsphinx]

Here is an unmarked Victoria often associated with John Derbyshire, many of the Derbyshire figurines have makers marks in opaque blue like this colour also there are registered designs by other Manchester makers including Burtles and Tate and Ker and Webb in this colour. So I think it’s a Manchester piece? The date is right for this era for blue.

[flying free]

As a matter of interest is that the same as this one?

The face looks different and the head looks at a different angle although that could just be the perspective of the photograph angle.

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/rogersjones/catalogue-id-rogers10372/lot-66a20c3e-01b7-43da-998e-ae23010a5c63#lotDetails

[thewingedsphinx]

Not it’s from my fathers collection, here’s a link to a Burtles Tate piece of the same colour.
https://www.yobunny.org.uk/glassgallery/displayimage.php?pos=-25695

[flying free]

Oh my word ... that's weird!!  Like a hand rising out of a grave in a dracula film    Is it a ring stand?

Ok, I see what you mean re the colour and English makers.
I know photos are difficult but is the Victoria an identical blue to the dolphin base?  It looks slightly lighter.  I know, different batches etc, but still.

Here is a Jasmine vase in the blue just so you see an example of what I meant
https://www.pressglas-korrespondenz.de/aktuelles/pdf/pk-2017-1w-jakob-jasminvase-neugotik-opalin-1830.pdf

mm, just thinking it through -  do you know of any other examples of pressed glass pieces with dolphin bases from English makers?  For example, I can think of three Bohemian makers off the top of my head.  Not saying it's Bohemian at all, just that I can think of those, plus a French maker but no English makers spring to mind, but then I don't 'do' pressed glass. Just wondering if you knew of any other pieces in different colours or clear for example?

[flying free]

So ... this is a Portieaux Vallerysthal figure face:

https://www.rubylane.com/item/826772-RL-0001225/Pair-Portieux78-Vallerysthal-P-V-Blue

it's different to yours of course, however I'm just wondering if yours is maybe not a dolphin?  Might it be another kind of fish/stylised beast because it has what appears to be a mane or flowing hair or fins from under the snout/nose.  I was just showing the PV items to show they also look different to Dolphins or what I think of as dolphins