Topic: Webb and Corbett Paperweight

[NevB]

This is my latest uranium glass weight. It has an etched design on the base of a noblewoman riding a horse sidesaddle, with her dog beside her, in a country setting. There is an engraved decanter on the Collectors' Weekly site with this same design.

[Ekimp]

Recently I was looking at an unidentified one of these on eBay in a different colour. I was trying to decide how the design was achieved as I thought it might be engraved, I decided it was a form of enamel printing rather than etching or engraving, so something applied to the surface rather than removed from it. I think this can be seen on the large photo of the decanter on collectors weekly - would you agree with one in your hand Nev, can you feel if the design is raised? I suppose it could be a thin acid etch but hard to be 100% sure without a closer look.

I have linked below to the decanter with the same scene that is on collectors weekly, they say it is engraved and a contributor seems to be linking it to rock crystal and talk about high end engravers. Sure it’s not engraved though...

Collectors weekly decanter (assume this is the one Nev mentioned):
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/298409-webb-corbett-lady-on-horseback-engraved
And the photograph on its own:
https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/zvMFQ40aXTqZ.VpdNlsw.Q.png

[NevB]

Hello Ekimp, I thought my piece was acid etched but looking at it with a magnifying glass and running my nail over it I just don't know. It has a very slight lip to the edge so it may well have been applied, perhaps using a stencil, but it is very fine. That is the decanter I saw,  the main part of the design is the same and it does appear to be some sort of enameling? I haven't researched mine fully yet, perhaps there's something online detailing W&C production techniques.

[Ekimp]

Hi, it does look very fine (...too fine for acid?)

It appears to me as though it was printed in three overlaid stages as there are three distinct tones (excluding clear untouched areas). The main background tone looks similar to that of an acid frosted finish but the layers over that look very opaque - it reminds me of the Mary Gregory type images. I have a glass with just a horse printed on it that looks like a very similar process was used.

It’ll be interesting if you find something.

[Ekimp]

I wonder if this weight is definitely Webb Corbett or maybe something else? Looking at other similar Webb Corbett weights on google, they look to be reasonably simple engraved designs.

In reply 4 here: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,51825.msg293935.html Wuff speculates that the printed type could be Murano, although Webb Corbett isn’t ruled out.

[NevB]

I see no reason for it not being Webb Corbett, I also can't see it being Murano, but more research needed. It does appear to be a "flash overlay" though.

[NevB]

My spider weight for comparison.

[Ekimp]

I now nothing about Webb Corbett but the use of a printed type image (assuming that’s what it is) doesn’t seem the same quality as an engraved image, I don’t know if that’s a technique they used elsewhere.

On the Collectors Weekly link, they don’t say if the decanter was marked, I had the impression it was identified as Webb Corbett as it has the same image as these paperweights.

This type of weight with a printed image is discussed on these other threads...there is even some doubt expressed about all of the engraved examples!

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,63542.msg356763.html#msg356763

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,37669.msg206752.html#msg206752

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,23702.msg132503.html#msg132503

[Lustrousstone]

I'm pretty confident the design is printed not engraved, and it is probably a screen printed transfer too. A screen printed transfer would be applied in one fell swoop, not three overlays. Check with a loupe for tiny dots

[NevB]

I can't see any dots under a magnifying glass but it is an applied overlay. I assume it's glass but how they produced such a thinly made image is incredible. Just to add, it weighs 500gms. with a volume of 150cm3 giving a density of 3.33gms./cm3. so it is lead crystal.