Topic: Pressed glass compote, Sandwich c.1850 for show

[cagney]

  Been trying to move away from pressed glasss as its overtaking my abode. It still seems to keep chasing me. Seen this in a antique store while out of town for the holidays, had to buy it because of condition. Only one point lightly tipped and a couple of small nibbles on the foot. Not sure if its an cold or another mild virus I have.

[cagney]

 Cold/virus a poor attempt at joke. A glass addiction more appropriate. Admission the first step in recovery?

[Ekimp]

I think most glass collectors would appreciate the joke This is amusing on a similar theme: https://www.chaletvintageartglass.ca/articles/z4ept8iu91lv3td96gmaquseftd0hu

Out of interest, is your piece moulded in one or is the stem applied, was wondering where the mould split on the bowl if moulded in one piece with the stem/foot.

[cagney]

  Oh yes, it is two pieces attached by a wafer while still hot. This was standard procedure at most if not all glassworks in U.S.A at the time and later. Sandwich an avid practitioner of this method, even candlesticks made with different sockets attached to variety of bases, as well as compotes, cake stands, vases, lamps etc. Some time around 1870  this began to change with most glassworks in a gradual way, but still carried on for larger pieces for another decade. You might say a defining aspect of some American EAPG. Pictured a cake stand, design patented 1870, obvious wafer attachment.

[flying free]

It's lovely.  The thing is ... there are so few of these items around now from that period or earlier.  So I always feel the need to 'rescue' despite minor nibbles etc.  Luckily my focus has never been pressed glass so I only have one area that catches my eye.

I am interested in whether cold work was also done on pressed glass in the earlier periods though.  Like ground base rims etc.

m

[cagney]

  The "rescue" aspect a part of it. Given the many sharp points on this compote I was astonish by the condition after 150 +years. Being a scarce object the question I asked myself was:When will I come across another in better condition? The answer: not very likely.

 As to ground/polished rims I will go out on the limb and say never. Never say never? The exception would be objects that were to receive a metal top. Peppers, syrups and the like left rough ground.
Occasionally you may come across a ground/polished foot ring, sometimes just to level a piece that slumped in the lehr during the cooling process. Thus a salable product instead of being thrown in the cullet bin. Although there seems to be no shortage of slightly wonky pieces about. The exception here would be tumblers. Price list of catalogs sometimes will have two options for tumblers. Could be had "rough bottom" as it came from the mold or "ground bottom" at approximately a 10% surcharge. One other aspect of the flint glass era in EAPG [pre-1870] should be noted I think. The occasional cutting on the neck/shoulder of decanters. While not necessarily common enough examples show up in different patterns to suggest it was a thing at some point. Usually flutes, also other patterns.https://www.rubylane.com/item/503073-8941/Bellflower-Decanter-ca-1865?search=1 I hope I got correct.

  An example of factory grinding/polishing to level a piece. Almost a 1/8 of an inch ground off to one side and sits perfectly level today.