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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Greg. on September 02, 2009, 01:16:33 PM

Title: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 02, 2009, 01:16:33 PM

Hi All,

Could anyone help me try to identify the decanter below.  I believe it is Whitefriars but am not completely sure.

Fairly heavy c.1200grams and 13 inches high.  Has a ground pontil mark to the base along with random strapping design around the lower part of the decanter.  I gather that random strapping was unique to whitefriars, although i may be wrong?

The stopper is also very reminiscent of other whitefriars stoppers I have seen, although I have been unable to find this exact example in any of their catalogues.

Any thoughts ..?

Regards,
Greg
 :chky:

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: johnphilip on September 02, 2009, 01:53:42 PM

105 % Not Whitefriars , sorry .jp

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 02, 2009, 01:57:19 PM

Thanks JP, if anyone has any other thoughts, greatly appreciated.

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: Max on September 02, 2009, 02:13:28 PM

Odd.  It looks quite distinctive with it's same coloured strapping to the body...but I don't recognise it.   :huh:

I'll have a look thru Andy McConnells Decanter book later, but there's not a very large section for 20th Century glass...worth a try though.

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 02, 2009, 02:18:48 PM

thanks Max, any suggestions would be appreciated, had me puzzled for a couple of weeks. :thup:

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: glassobsessed on September 02, 2009, 03:40:07 PM

Nice looking decanter Greg, you may have guessed by now that random strapping or trailing glass on the outside of a vessel is not unique to Whitefriars.
I am not sure that any method of production or type of decoration is unique to any glassworks anywhere, if one person can do it then somebody else will copy/use the technique or modify it in their own way. Every designer will look for ideas and inspiration somewhere.

It has often been stated that there is 'nothing new under the sun' (what a depressing idea), this in my opinion is not true, genuinely new ideas may be rare but they do occur and variation on a theme also provides variety.

John

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 02, 2009, 05:37:40 PM

Thanks for your thoughts John, I had a feeling that random strapping wasn't exclusive to Whitefriars.  I remember reading something on the whitefriars website a few years back, which was prob a little misleading.

to quote: "Random strapping,  Another variant of trailing used in the 1960s and 70s, the strapping is deliberately ‘messy’. Unique to Whitefriars."

Perhaps they mean their 'messy' versions of random strapping was unique to Whitefriars! Anyhow as you suggest techniques are often copied or adjusted slightly by other designers/ companies. Apart from this, pretty sure I have seen this treatment elsewhere anyway. 

Back to square one, if anyone has any thoughts in terms of ID i would glad to hear them.

Thanks again.
Greg
(Rainy London Town)

Title: Re: ID Required - Not Whitefriars Any Ideas....?
Post by: Greg. on September 03, 2009, 12:08:17 PM

Not whitefriars, any ideas....?

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: Max on September 03, 2009, 01:34:34 PM

Nothing to do with identification, but how well does the stopper fit?  It doesn't look bad with the decanter, but I'm not sure it looks exactly right either, like it should have a solid ball stopper perhaps?

Title: Re: ID Required - Possible whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 03, 2009, 02:29:30 PM

The stopper fits fairly snugly, looks like they were made to go together....

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Max on September 03, 2009, 03:01:46 PM

Ok, just a thought.   :) :)

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Max on September 03, 2009, 03:03:45 PM

If you go to one of Andy McConnell's 'Study Days' in September, you can ask him - he's the author of the Decanter Book and is their glass expert on the Roadshow.  His place is in Rye, East Sussex so not a million miles from you.  ;)

www.decanterman.com

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 03, 2009, 04:40:52 PM

Thanks Max, I might just do that, thanks for the info.  I also have a few pieces of sam herman glass that i wouldnt mind finding out a little more about, given to my father in the 60s when he worked at the RCA.  Anyhow thanks for all your help. No doubt I'll be posting something else again soon.  :D

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Max on September 03, 2009, 04:55:48 PM

Yeah, like the Sam Herman glass maybe??  :hiclp:

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: johnphilip on September 03, 2009, 05:42:47 PM

Max talking about the stopper has jogged something in my tiny brain  , i have a vision of a large disc or lozenge stopper with that pattern from the lower part of the decanter repeated on it ,maybe you are right and i may have seen one in the past . :huh:

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Max on September 03, 2009, 07:37:24 PM

Now you've said it, it rings a bit of a bell with me too.  I keep getting glimpses of it in my mind's eye...then it slips away...very annoying!  I'm seeing a ball stopper with strapping.

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: Greg. on September 03, 2009, 09:21:10 PM

Thanks all, interesting thoughts. Although the stopper does seem to fit really quite well, it wouldnt surprise me if they were a marriage, as the stopper is very reminiscent of some whitefriars stoppers I have seen.

 :)

Title: Re: ID Required - not whitefriars.....?
Post by: johnphilip on September 04, 2009, 06:39:59 AM

The stopper should fit very well , quite well says it all IMHO . JP :cry: