Topic: Sowerby Opalescent (blanc de lat) small “gathering apples” 1882

[thewingedsphinx]

For reference as I’ve never seen this one in opalescent before, come to think of it I’ve not come across any Walter Crane inspired nursery rhyme pieces in opalescent but my father does have a few other pieces from the same 1882 catalogue in Opalescent. Faint peacock mark in base, 3.5” wide.
Regards Mike

Just need to find it’s big sister now…

[flying free]

That's pretty - a lovely shape and unusual.  The opalescence is lovely.

Is it actually called Blanc de lat in the catalogue?  I'm just wondering because I thought Blanc de lait was an opaque white glass, not opalescent glass.

m

[thewingedsphinx]

Hi, I think this colour topic has been discussed before, I don’t think the word opalescent was widely used at that time as it’s not mentioned in the 1882 list of colours at the top of the catalogue. I tend to agree with the Victorianpressed glass website which refers blanc de lait as clear glass with milky white opalescent spreading through it.

That’s my take on it but I could wrong, thanks Mike

[flying free]

http://www.victorianpressedglass.com/sowerby_coloured_glass.htm#8

That's interesting. Thank you. 

1) For (my )future reference on the board, the site says the two Sowerby opaque white colours that come under the Vitro-Porcelain Glass list were called:

- Opal (an opaque white glass the first Vitro-Porcelain colour)

- Patent Ivory Queens Ware (a colour 'in imitation of carved ivory')



2) There is some discussion under Rubine section on that site, about the colour names of Sowerby opalescent glass:

'Sowerby used the term Blanc-de Lait for his opalescent glass, not opalescent.
So, for me, the opalescent Gladstone bags in the Shipley Art Gallery are either Rubine or Rose Opalescent...  .'

It's interesting (to me) that Sowerby would call their opalescent white glass 'Blanc de Lait' but their opalescent pink  glass could be the colour named 'Rose Opalescent'. (Although didn't Jobling have a specific name for their white opalescent glass? Opalique was it? so I can see why there may have been an attempt to make a brand name for the Sowerby opalescent range rather than just calling it opalescent)

So I can see the author is making the point that Sowerby having named an opalescent white glass 'Blanc de Lait' , could equally have named an opalescent pink glass 'Rubine' instead of using a name such as 'Rose opalescent'.

However under that section the descriptor 'opalescent' is mentioned as the author says:
'Cottle (pg 61) 'a pinker version of ruby was later called Rubine and when added to a mixture of opal glass was called Rose Opalescent'.'


Did that word opalescent as stated by Cottle not appear in Sowerby's own description of the colours then? 

[flying free]

Adding to my long post above -

I've just noticed in the Pottery Trade Gazette advertisement of 1882 here:
http://www.victorianpressedglass.com/images/sowerby_colours/pottery-gazette-1882_small.jpg

there is a colour called 'Stained Blanc-de-Lait' - could that have been the pink opalescent glass Gladstone Bag colour?  I mean, if they've called an opalescent white glass 'Blanc-de-Lait' then it could be likely a coloured opalescent glass could have been called 'Stained Blanc-de-Lait' couldn't it?

[Ivo]

Blanc de lait = milk white = milk glass = Lattimo.  I would not advocate the waters to be troubled by half misunderstood terminology from the past. The colouring agent is tin oxide,
Some earlier versions of white translucent used the opaline formula with antimony, it has a pinkish sheen when held to the light. AKA fiery opal. In those days glass makers used fancy names to distinguish from the competition.

[flying free]

Hi Ivo

Not sure I fully understand.  Are you saying that Sowerby may have used tin oxide in making this particular range of glass which has an opalescent appearance but has been named by them 'Blanc de Lait' ?  Hence giving a reason why Sowerby might have named that range 'Blanc-de-Lait'?

I can't see why any maker would call a range of glass the name Blanc-de-Lait, unless it was a white opaline or opaque glass (like lattimo - see Miotti for good examples).  I find that a very odd marketing ploy. 

m

[thewingedsphinx]

I think it’s always going to be difficult to know exactly what their interpretation in the catalogues is unless you a
have a colour catalogue with the names underneath. For instance these nursery rhyme pieces can also be found in “frosted” ( sand blasted? Satin ) and on top of that sometimes with enamel decoration, they’re also very rare,  I don’t think there is any mention of frosted or it’s equivalent in the catalogues.

I think Mike T’s website is the best we have on the subject.
regards Mike

[flying free]

I'm not disputing the resource at all. I'm just genuinely curious.

m

[flying free]

I'm also curious about the 'griffin' type vase with three griffins around the side.  In that advertisement I linked to, does the drawing of that look as though it has a serrated or regular wavy rim?
It looks as though the rim is different to this one for example:

https://www.premierantiques.co.uk/sowerby-turquoise-malachite-slag-glass-gryphon-or-chained-swans-vase-c1880-1-806-p.asp

I seem to recall quite a lot of discussion around these pieces on maker.  And I acknowledge that is a print of a drawing so detail can be lost.  However that rim doesn't look like the one on the link to me at all 

Modified a bit later to add - ah, the serrated rim looks like this one, so two different designs:
http://www.victorianpressedglass.com/images/sowerby/aesthetic/sowerby_aesthetic-yellow_2.jpg

m