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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: GlassIsGood on September 07, 2010, 09:02:49 PM

Title: I've found some uranium glass!! :-) - Pictures too in 2nd posting
Post by: GlassIsGood on September 07, 2010, 09:02:49 PM
I've wandered about the house with my new light looking for glows!!

I've found an apprently clear vase that very slightly glows greeny/yellow, but too faint to get a different picture of it glowing - though the vase is in the pictures - I can't see a mold line in it so I think its in one piece - though its unsigned and I think its 'just a vase'

However, although it does show a mold line, what do think of the little butterfly pot?  It's glowing like no tomorrow :-)
 
Now I've found a piece, why is it special? - is it just because it looks interesting under the right light, or does it carry value?  Can anyone tell me anything about the little butterfly pot (or the vase I guess).
Title: Re: I've found some uranium glass!! :-)
Post by: GlassIsGood on September 07, 2010, 09:06:26 PM
Having problems with your size limit on the photos, then it seems you can't post just photos with no text  :thud:
Title: Re: I've found some uranium glass!! :-) - Pictures too in 2nd posting
Post by: Mosquito on September 07, 2010, 10:31:52 PM
Both your vase & your butterfly pot are Sowerby. The vase is no.2505, the range which came in at least three sizes, they're known as either Lily or Iris vases, depending on whether the points of the rim face up or are turned down - a quick search should reveal plenty of other examples.

The butterfly pot is from Sowerby's 2552 Butterfly set - you can find more info on Anne's trinket set site www.glasstrinketsets.com

Yours looks to be a nice pre-war example with the acid matted background. How big is it? early sets came with both a large & small pot, later ones only seem to have the large one. There's an interesting article about the differences in moulding on early vs. late versions of this pattern here: http://www.sherriff-family.com/butterfly.htm

Steven
Title: Re: I've found some uranium glass!! :-) - Pictures too in 2nd posting
Post by: Lustrousstone on September 08, 2010, 06:59:19 AM
The newer (relatively speaking) green butterfly sets don't glow, as they don't contain uranium. Uranium in glass only adds value to people like me who collect uranium glass. It does however often add depth of colour and a hint of yellow to green glass. On its own it creates the most vivid glowing yellow with hints of green. It's often indicative, but not always, of glass being older.

The vase contains manganese decoloriser. Clear glass never contains uranium.

Both your items are pressed glass and will have mould seams; that's OK because that's the way they are made. On the best finished pieces or the best designed pieces, the mould seams can be hard to find. Pressed glass has many collectors. Visit Pamela's site (http://www.pressglas-pavillon.de/index2.html) for a feast for the eyes.

The picture shows just some of my uranium glass; some of it is just uranium trimmed though.
Title: Re: I've found some uranium glass!! :-) - Pictures too in 2nd posting
Post by: GlassIsGood on September 08, 2010, 08:20:31 AM
Hi everyone, 

Dead chuffed at this end with the above responses.  :thup:

They are mum's pieces, we share a house and living space so when I wandered with my light I did her areas too.  This morning she told me that she got the butterfly pot for 20p from a car boot, and has often nearly thrown it out!-, and apparently my brother bought her the vase from an antique store - he wouldn't have paid more than £10-£15 for it as a guess.  Who would have thought that they would be the same makers?  In fact I nearly didn't add the vase, thinking it was possibly 'ordinary', but although I understand its easier to have one piece per thread it kind of works that its the same manufacturer.  As you have a pattern for the vase is an approximate date possible please?

N.B.  If identified pieces are of any use in anyone's ID library I would be happy to try to take better photos (about the only way to thank folks for their time) if anyone wants the same please let me know.

Yes, the butterfly pot is nicely frosted and seems crisply molded - also no faults on it.  It is 3" across and stands about 3.5" high so I don't know if that makes it a large or small one - We don't have any more of the set though.

You folks are good at this lark - the only problem is that mother has a cabinet of nearly 50 pieces (mostly clear glass) many of which we don't know about, I might well be posting more (take this as fair warning!!) - though we might be able to help with coloured Murano figures as we have lots of labelled pieces.

Thanks for all help so far!!
Title: Re: I've found some uranium glass!! :-) - Pictures too in 2nd posting
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 08, 2010, 04:38:38 PM
 :hi:
Hiya and welcome to the gmb!
Questions and queries are the things that stimulate discussion here, no need to worry on that score. :thup: :thup: :thup:
(but please, just not everything at once - other folks' queries fall off the page and get lost if somebody posts too many things all in one go....)

I've got just the bottom of one of these butterfly pots, I keep small sharp things like staples in it before I wrap them all up for binning. I doubt it has any value as it is, a bit fleabitten and missing every other bit of the set.
I just like it. Uranium glass does have a very special glow in the sunlight.  :sun: