Topic: Antique glass with an engraved XX cut into the rim of the bowl. 1800s date

[flying free]

I'm away so can't post a pic at the moment, but have just bought a glass box that has an XX carefully cut into the rim on the bowl.
I've seen this on pieces before but can't remember where . Pretty sure the box is 1800s.

Anyone know of any information as to why the XX might be cut into the glass please? or have any other examples?

m

[chopin-liszt]

Depending on the positioning, could it be to ensure that a complete seal did not get created when the lid was placed on top? If it was to keep eg. a live insect in. You'd want air to be able to get in and out.
Or could they be to indicate where somebody else should cut or attach something?
Or Roman for the number 20, to match it with the base, as was done with decanters and matching stoppers?

[flying free]

Depending on the positioning, could it be to ensure that a complete seal did not get created when the lid was placed on top? If it was to keep eg. a live insect in. You'd want air to be able to get in and out.


Or Roman for the number 20, to match it with the base, as was done with decanters and matching stoppers?

That's very  interesting Sue especially the first suggestion re ensuring the lid and base didn't have a complete seal.  Thank you.  I cannot for the life of me remember where I've seen this done before but I definitely have.  I can't remember if it was on a piece with a lid though.  Mine isn't a receptacle for an insect however ensuring it didn't have a complete seal could be a possible reason why nonetheless.

There is no matching XX on the lid and it's definitely a matched lid so I don't think it's the decanter/stopper equivalent marking to be honest.

I'm sure I've seen this on very old glass before though and wondered why it was there.  I think there has been at least one other piece on the board with this mark on it.  However nothing came up on my searches (where, after your post, I searched as I was trying to see whether that was also on a two part piece).

Food for thought.  Thanks so much.  I'll post a pic when I get home next week.

m

[chopin-liszt]

Another thought is, could it indicate a second?

[flying free]

I don't think so.  It's, at a guess, mid 1800s and in perfect nick and I'm not entirely sure they had seconds then?  It's also not an engraved or cut piece, so the mark has been deliberately placed there possibly by the person who cut the rim on the lid and bowl, which is absolutely beautifully done. Perhaps the rim finisher was a no 20 in the wage bill/pay system?

I'm pretty sure I have seen this mark, and more than once, on other antique glass items.  I just need to find them!

mxx

[chopin-liszt]

No, I don't think seconds were permitted then. But I often cannot find any flaws in Caithness seconds.
I even think I might know what you're talking about.  But I'm stumped.

[flying free]

Thank you Sue.  I came home last night and examined it under a strong light and found a matching XX engraved onto the bowl base. Difficult to engrave and indeed to find as the rim of the bowl is cut and polished but curves inwards towards the centre inside of the bowl.  The XX has been engraved right at the edge where the pattern and polished rim meet, so it's incredibly hard to see.

So presumably, as you suggested, matching numbers for lid and base.  I guess this must have been the polisher's twentieth piece going by the numerals.

I'll put some pictures up later today.

m

[chopin-liszt]

 
While reading your comment, it struck me that if the base and lid need to be placed in a particular lined up position to get the decor on both pieces to match and be contiguous, the Xs might indicate the placement?

[flying free]

I hope the pics loads up  - new phone, new computer and I'm having trouble resizing 

Eisglas deckeldose  - Crackle or ice glass lidded box

It's a large box - approx 13cm wide (approx 5") by 13.5cm tall

It's been beautifully and carefully finished. The stalk has been hand cut where you can see the cutting marks to shape it,like very fine battuto cut and also the bevel on the top of the edge of the ... merese (?) the blob where it attaches to the lid.

The rim of the base and lid are bevelled and highly polished both with XX engraved into them.

There is a large stone in the glass of the bottom half of the bowl.

Pretty sure it's Bohemian and probably mid 19th.

m

[flying free]

see pics above and this one for size v a pink lady apple   still difficult to show the size really but they are probably sugar boxes as opposed to trinket boxes.