Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. > British & Irish Glass

Old Sowerby or Davidson sugar bowl ... ? - ID = Sowerby

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Bernard C:
This one has been worrying me since I jumped in with an off the top of my head Sowerby attribution, but I couldn't think why.

I had been thinking of Davidson pattern 138 (Stewart & Stewart p.20) which is similar with a piano key rim, but a rolled top as well.   Normally, when you are attributing pressed glass, "nearly but not quite" is a positive indicator that you are considering the wrong glassworks.    Unfortunately this doesn't always work with Davidson, whose designs over the years included several "nearly but not quite"s.   So, prompted by those posting above, I took another look, and found (Stewart & Stewart p.10) pattern 136, with a piano key rim, but no rolled top.

So count me in with the majority now.   Sorry for getting it wrong.  :oops:

Bernard C.  8)

Anne E.B.:

--- Quote from: "Bernard C" --- Sorry for getting it wrong.  :oops:
Bernard C.  8)
--- End quote ---


Absolutely no need Bernard :P   You were absolutely spot on!  Many thanks 8)   The light is better today, and I've been able to see the markings on the inside.  It was difficult to spot because of the textured glass, and the light just had to be right.  

It has the Sowerby peacock. Underneath looks like either two or three Roman numerals (not quite sure).  In the diamond shape there looks like a number 29 in the top, a number 6 on the left, the letter P (I think) on the right, and at the bottom what could be the letter P or R.  Is that enough info to actually date it?

Many thanks too Christine and Pamela for your input.  I like the carnival sugar bowl :P

Anne:
Hi Anne,

From your markings' description it should have been registered 29 August 1877. The III in Roman numerals at the top means Glass category. The number below is the date (i.e. 29th), the one on the left is a parcel number, the one at the bottom is the letter code for the month: Aug=R; and the one on the right is the year code: 1877=P (there's no year using R in this layout which applies to 1868-1883).

However, the list of registered designs for 1877 on Great Glass gives us two Sowerby patterns registered on 29 of a month in 1877 - neither in August. One was in March (letter code=W) and the other was in October (letter code=B), so I suspect your bottom letter should be B not P or R. The parcel number for the March registration was 4, whereas the October one was 6, which matches yours.

Checking the Great Glass website  for that date gives as follows:
315664-74    Sowerby & Co  29-Oct-77 (parcel) 6  
so there were actually 10 designs registered by Sowerby on that date!

Jenny Thompson's book The Identification of English Pressed Glass gives the following details for the numbers:
315664 = Bowl, 315665-70 = Vases, 315671 = Sugar basin, 315672 = Handled vase, 315673 = Basket, 315674 - no description.

So that narrows it down some more. The 1877 date explains why you didn't find it on Glen's CD (neither did I!) as the earliest catalogue Glen includes there is 1882.

Hope this helps a little. :)

Anne E.B.:
Fantastic information Anne - many thanks 8)  :P   It's even older than me!

It's around the same period as my Sowerby celery that Glen kindly ID'd some time ago.  I'm afraid I can't be more specific with the actual markings as its packed away ready to go into storage.  That too has markings on the inside, much more difficult to see than the sugar bowl because of the confined space and depth.  It has a similar look with its frosted sides.  
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/pg045.jpg

They're not my usual taste in glass, but I'm just fascinated by having something so old and with such history.  The tales they could tell 8)

Can't wait until Glen's third CD is available :P

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