Glass Message Board

Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Resolved Paperweight Queries => Topic started by: paperweights on July 02, 2015, 12:53:50 AM

Title: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn? ID = Paul Ysart
Post by: paperweights on July 02, 2015, 12:53:50 AM

Can anyone identify this crown paperweight?  It has a Scottish look and feel, so maybe it is by Strathearn?  It is 2 13/16" diameter by 2 1/3" high.  The base is fire finished. 

Thanks in advance.

Allan

Title: Re: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn?
Post by: tropdevin on July 02, 2015, 05:37:48 AM

***

Hi.  It looks to me like a typical Harland crown from Paul Ysart's studio.  Whether it was  made by him or one of his assistants is another question!

Alan

Title: Re: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn?
Post by: SophieB on July 02, 2015, 09:50:48 AM

Hi Allan,

I agree with Alan, it is a Paul Ysart crown. It could be from the Harland period (we know he made quite a lot then). However, Paul Ysart made crowns long before the Harland venture and the ones he made while at Caithness are not easily distinguishable from the Harland ones. I suspect that the only way to know for sure is to resort to a UV lamp.

It is a nice example with good PY colours.

SophieB

Title: Re: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn?
Post by: paperweights on July 02, 2015, 01:21:26 PM

Wouldn't the Caithness examples have a flat base (or at least a finished base)?

Title: Re: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn?
Post by: SophieB on July 03, 2015, 05:55:53 PM

Hi Allan,

I have never seen a PY crown with a flat base. Even the one from Caithness that I saw had a pontil scar.

KevinH should be able to give us more info on this though.

SophieB

Title: Re: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn?
Post by: KevinH on July 04, 2015, 10:23:12 PM

I have not studied the base finish of PY Crown weights. And I have no PY Crown weights in my own collection.

However, my PY Caithness period weights are restricted to just eight examples, two of which have an indented and fire polished base.

In Colin Mahoney's book on PY weights, it is stated that about 80% of Caithness period weights have a flat polished base. Of the rest, "a few" (approx 18% according to the graphs) are fired polished and "once in a while" (approx 2%) "weights turn up with" a rough finish.

I agree with Sophie that only a uv test will determine the period of the example shown here.

[Edited to correct the percentage figure for "a few" - I originally said 8% ... should have been 18%]

Title: Re: ID Crown Paperweight - Scottish - Strathearn? ID = Paul Ysart
Post by: paperweights on July 05, 2015, 03:32:31 PM

Thanks to everyone who responded.