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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: ju1i3 on July 27, 2011, 07:25:34 PM

Title: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: ju1i3 on July 27, 2011, 07:25:34 PM
I often see antique glasses described as "beakers" and glasses described as "tumblers". Is there a standard for these terms? I heard the term "pony glass" for the first time a few days ago. Is this common? I read that they hold 140 mls and when I measured these, they held exactly that.
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 27, 2011, 09:07:41 PM
Hi Juli3,  I have often thout the same about Jug, pitcher and ewer!!
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: KevinH on July 28, 2011, 01:01:23 PM
Using Harold Newman's An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass:

Tumbler = a drinking glass without a handle, foot or stem and having a flat base.
Beaker = a drinking glass without a handle which often has a flared mouth and flat base but sometimes has a stemmed foot. [But apparently the original term sometimes referred to examples that did have a handle and a spout (or "Beak")]

Jug = a vessel used for pouring liquids and usually with a lip or spout and often with a looped handle.
Ewer = a type of jug with a number of features one of which is usually a large looped handle.
Pitcher = the name that people in the Americas use instead of "jug".

Pony = same as a Whiskey Glass

Glass, as a term for a vessel or other formed item, is not listed by Newman. But I guess it is usually a simple contraction of "drinking glass", although "spy glass" and perhaps even "looking glass" have also been contracted to "glass".

Further qualifications or amendments to any of the above are welcome. :)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 28, 2011, 04:46:17 PM
So what's a juggy thing with a spout but no handle?
I've got two, they do exist.

Interesting about "beaker", Kev, thanks for that. :thup:
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: antiquerose123 on July 28, 2011, 04:59:27 PM
 :thup: :thup:  Good info !! 

Now should explain a Celery vase from a Vase -- as I can not tell the difference ever   :thud:  and how do you know it is a Celery vase, and not just a regular old vase ??  I had never heard the term celery vase except here on the Board.  :huh2:

Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: KevinH on July 28, 2011, 05:00:18 PM
... a juggy thing with a spout but no handle = a vase :D
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: chriscooper on July 28, 2011, 05:02:32 PM
A cocktail mixer? with or without handle but including a spout.

http://www.whitefriarsorg.org/memb1/cat-57/p22.jpg

Chris

Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 28, 2011, 05:04:07 PM
 :huh:

A vase, Kev?  Complete with a swizzle stick and a great big spouty folded-over spout?
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: KevinH on July 28, 2011, 05:07:54 PM
Rose, best to run a search on the Board for "celery" and compile a document with all the threads and comments. Then edit the document to remove duplications and rewrite it to make better sense than when it was first compiled. After that, come back here and tell us all in simple words what the answer is.

Or, for a succinct answer, see your copy of Ivo's glass fact file a-z - you do have a copy, don't you :)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: krsilber on July 28, 2011, 07:58:17 PM
Quote
So what's a juggy thing with a spout but no handle?

Decanter?

I've always thought of ewers as having a stem and foot.  Maybe that's a US thing.

Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: Cathy B on July 29, 2011, 01:12:32 AM
:huh:

A vase, Kev?  Complete with a swizzle stick and a great big spouty folded-over spout?

An awkward, badly designed jug ;)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: ju1i3 on July 29, 2011, 04:51:27 AM
Thanks very much for the info.

I don't know the official definition of celery vase but they do have a shape to hold celery in water to keep it crisp and because it is for food it wasn't taxed as a flower vase would be so there was a motivation to call it a "celery vase".
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: Lustrousstone on July 29, 2011, 06:40:01 AM
Celery vases tend to be of a good width and have long straight vertical sides (and a foot for ease of passing round); at least the Victorian ones. The later ones that were avoiding tax are often much less practical for actually putting celery in and much better for flowers.
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: Paul S. on July 29, 2011, 02:37:37 PM
quote from Christine..............."Celery vases tend to be of a good width and have long straight vertical sides (and a foot for ease of passing round)"...........quite true, of course, and certainly C19 examples do seem to have a stem and circular foot more often than not.       And, if they are engraved with grape and vine.........then apparently they are for washing your grapes in.    Presumably not made specifically for grapes  -  just that someone had taken a celery and, with a little imagination, changed its use.
Oddly, some of the ale/beer glasses from the latter part of C19  -  those decorated with cut printies, a round foot and straight paralell sides, are almost like under-sized celerys.
Can't help thinking though that if you had a tall celery on the tea table (and some stood at over a foot), then a quick movement with the hand to grab the jam pot or butter dish, might well have sent the celerly over.             Personally, I'd have kept the celery in the fridge and dispensed with the vase and water.
For a more historic definition of the expression 'Pony Glass'  -  the following is from Wikipedia..................... "pony is a glass of only 140 ml capacity sometimes known as a small beer. The name comes from the old horse race carnivals, where patrons would go to the bar for a quick drink between races. Because only a short amount of time was available between races many patrons would prefer to drink beer from the small 140 ml glass so they would be done in time to get back to the next race. While a pony is a small horse, not commonly used in racing, the name stuck nonetheless".
If swizzle sticks are for mixing the cocktail  -  then I've foregotten the name of the short 'glass' stick used for crushing the sugar in a hot toddy  -  and it is.............??

   
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 29, 2011, 02:45:08 PM
..........believe it or not...........A Glass Sugar Crusher!! Or, a Muddler, or, a Tamper!!!

It's true!! :)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: KevinH on July 29, 2011, 02:55:59 PM
Mr Newman seemed not to have heard of "Muddler" or "Tamper", in connection with glass items, but he did say that sugar crushers were also known as "toddy-sticks". :)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 29, 2011, 03:02:59 PM
I have a few of these Glass Muddlers that I use to stir the essential oils and creams I make.  They wash easily and the flat ended ones make good scoops to ladle out the goo!! How's that for a thread  :hj:
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: Paul S. on July 29, 2011, 06:15:49 PM
thanks Rosie  -  and it may well have been 'tamper' that I had in mind  -  although as a one time pipe smoker (centuries ago) believe that was what we called the metal thingy with which the baccy was pushed down.       I suspect that Kevin's 'toddy sticks' sounds more appropriate. :)   The few I have are rather crude in manufacture, so guess they were made without much thought to quality.     My apologies also for side tracking the thread  -  just that I happen to rather like Celerys, and hot toddy glasses. :)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 29, 2011, 08:15:18 PM
I've got a glass pipe tobacco 'tamp' as well.....makes a great stirrer, I got these all at the big A3 boot fair a few years ago before I discovered eBay.  :usd:
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: Paul S. on July 29, 2011, 09:39:39 PM
Rosie - so you were an A3 booter as well were you :)    Ebay is great for building a collection quickly - but there's no excitement.      Wouldn't you rather get up at 5 a.m. - in the cold and dark - jossle with other like minded souls, and experience not knowing exactly what might turn up?  -  No, I guess not.    I've been most weeks during the season, but quality finds are diminishing, I must admit.    Sorry, off track again. :-[
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: Paul S. on July 29, 2011, 09:43:00 PM
P.S.   I'm absent for the next week - and without a laptop  -  so I shall be conspicuously quiet (but will, of course, be looking for glass ;D)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 29, 2011, 09:50:30 PM
P.S.   I'm absent for the next week - and without a laptop  -  so I shall be conspicuously quiet (but will, of course, be looking for glass ;D)

You're just saying that so I don't abduct you on the A3!!  The tunnel is open now, so I could get there and back in no time at all........but then again, 5am!!  I don't think so!  It was Ok when we lived in Byfleet, but not now. If I do decide to start going back there, I will give you fair warning!!!!! :24: :24:
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: ju1i3 on July 30, 2011, 05:35:35 AM
where is this A3 boot fair?
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: johnphilip on July 30, 2011, 06:21:18 AM
Beside the A3  Julie . :ooh: :kissy: ;)
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 30, 2011, 08:42:02 AM
Good Morrow-morn Mr jp, you have been very quiet of late! ;)

Hi Julie  :hi: Between Cobham and Guildford, on the Southbound side.  To go back to London, carry on the A3 and cross to the other side at the Merrow turnoff.
   
Hey!  We could all meet up there at the hot dog stall!! (Yuk!)  (Hot dogs, not the 'meeting up'!!!!)  ::)

It is HUGE and needs as long as it takes to go round it! :usd:
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: ju1i3 on July 30, 2011, 10:25:53 AM
Rosie would love to meet up at a future one. I don't think I can do tomorrow or the week after but maybe one of the Sundays the second half of August: 14th, 21st or 28th?
Title: Re: what makes something a beaker or a tumbler or just a glass?
Post by: rosieposie on July 30, 2011, 12:36:13 PM
 :thup: Julie. I'll PM you OK?