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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: David555 on February 17, 2006, 12:40:28 AM

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed IDs=a. Geo.Davidson 242 | b. Stourbridge
Post by: David555 on February 17, 2006, 12:40:28 AM

Hi

Opalescent Pieces ID needed

a) 3.75” high in a lovely blue with six petal form foot, pinched with three handles – the top half fades into a milky opalescence.
http://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bluesalts6bi.jpg
http://img102.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bluesaltsb2ld.jpg

b) 4” high and Vaseline glass I think, with petal form foot and a lovely looped stem, the bowl is 5” diameter and has milky blue opalescence.

(http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/1176/twist10re.th.jpg) (http://img127.imageshack.us/my.php?image=twist10re.jpg)
(http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/8554/twist26ok.th.jpg) (http://img107.imageshack.us/my.php?image=twist26ok.jpg)

Hope I can get an ID (maker/date) – I paid £50.00 each for a & b – I wanted to buy a couple of nice pieces as I have never dabbled in this type of glass before.

I have some ideas of course, and seen similar thing on GMB but still need assurance

Thanks


Adam

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: Anne on February 17, 2006, 01:38:42 AM

Adam, your blue piece is a George Davidson 242 basket in Blue Pearline. It's lovely! I have the same basket in clear glass and it looks very dowdy in comparison!  Chris Stewart's book on Davidson has pics and info about these.

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: David555 on February 17, 2006, 01:45:44 AM

Hi

Thanks for ID Anne

It is actually a pair - sold as a pair - so have I got two separate pieces here :)

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: Anne on February 17, 2006, 01:59:08 AM

Yes, you have two GD 242 baskets then. Even better! :) As far as I know they were sold individually - Chris would be able to tell you if I'm wrong.

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: David555 on February 17, 2006, 02:38:45 AM

Thanks Anne

Found my loop stemmed dish Item (http://www.vaselineglass.org/art105L.jpg)

The site does not give a name or date aghhhhhh vaselineglass.org (http://www.vaselineglass.org/artglass.html)

Adam P

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: Bernard C on February 17, 2006, 10:48:22 AM

Adam P — your lovely tazza with a loop, with added acid-etched floral decoration, is illustrated in Hajdamach, British Glass 1800–1914.   Here the author attributes it to Stourbridge, late 19th century.   Note that throughout the book Walsh is included in this general classification.

Hajdamach describes it as yellow opalescent, uncapitalised, although I would prefer the more contemporary "Canary Opalescent", a term that was unambiguous on both sides of the Atlantic.

Note that there are no features of your tazza that help narrow down this attribution at present.   They all used 12-rib dip moulds (a pity it wasn't 18-rib), and the loop, once introduced, was widely copied.   A detailed study of crimped leaf-like patterns might help, but I fear that the outcome could be the conclusion that they all bought their crimps from the same crimp salesman, whose lion's head prunt crimps seem to have been sold far and wide, from Gateshead to Murano.   Nor does the glass itself help a great deal; they all made Canary Opalescent — the knowledge was probably spread quickly by mineral salesmen.    Unless an example turns up in a readily identifiable glass, like Walsh Mother-of-Pearl or Webb Alexandrite, the best chance for attribution is the acid-etched floral pattern applied to the example illustrated in the book, but it is difficult to pick out any detail.

Bernard C.  8)

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: heartofglass on February 17, 2006, 12:03:17 PM

The vaseline comport or tazza is a beautiful piece!
In my books on Victorian glass, this type of looped stem & leaf foot is always identified as being of Stourbridge origin.
As we know, there were many glass factories in the Stourbridge area!
I think it could be by Thomas Webb & Sons, though.

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: Leni on February 17, 2006, 12:17:59 PM

Those leafy feet could be Stuart or Richardsons  :shock:   On the other hand, it could be Webb, Walsh, or Stevens & Williams!   :roll:

I think all you can say with certainty is that it is one of the Stourbridge glasshouses, from the end of the 19thC.   :D

And I really covet it  :twisted:  :wink:  :lol:

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: heartofglass on February 17, 2006, 12:24:49 PM

You're right, Leni, it could be any one of those firms.
May I also complement you on your excellent taste! :D
Gotta LOVE that late Victorian glass, it's choice! :D

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: David555 on February 17, 2006, 01:39:41 PM

Thanks everyone

I am going back to my 1880s - 1900s roots a bit here. I used to have a large collection of mostly unidentified objects, I just bought what I liked.

(http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/8338/crancan2nt.th.jpg) (http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=crancan2nt.jpg)
I sold stuff like this without knowing what it was, I think it's Davidson

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You have given me so much to think about (ref original post). One thing I feel sure about is - it is British and seems to be of Stourbridge origin. I will keep on researching as I would love to get a factory.

Amazing how that other website has an identical piece, I may email and ask that particular collector what he/she thinks, although they (the site) seem to attribute the piece to W. H., B & J Richardson of Stourbridge.

BTW anyone on that board I linked to - http://www.vaselineglass.org/factory.html


Adam P

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: Glen on February 17, 2006, 01:53:08 PM

The vaseline web site belongs to one of our glass board members (who always writes so knowledgeably about vaseline) - MrVaselineGlass DAVE.

Glen

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: David555 on February 17, 2006, 02:11:51 PM

Thanks Glen

Also for all your help with the Punch set

Well .... if Dave is around I am sure he will be able to give me a good ID as that is a fantastic site he has 8)

Adam P

Title: Opalescent Pieces ID needed
Post by: mrvaselineglass on February 19, 2006, 02:55:41 PM

Adam P
First....congratulations on great purchases at great prices!  That twisted stem piece would easily bring $300USD on eBay.  I wish I could shop where you shop!

I have to agree with Bernard C.   The tazza could have come from any of the glass houses in the Stourbridge region.  Richardson, Powell, Webb, John Walsh Walsh, Stuart, or Stevens and Williams all had the skill to make it, and did.

the two little blue baskets are, of course, Davidson.  
You also later showed a larger primrose pearline bowl, which has commonly picked up the pattern name of WILLIAM AND MARY.  It was an extensive pattern.

The photo you showed of the grouping of three of the website I administer was sent by one of our members, and that person most likely would also just say the pieces are Stourbridge Glass.  Not only did all of the factories copy each other, but the workers were not stagnant either.  They went where the work was, wherever they thought the grass was greener, and moved from factory to factory.

Unless there is excellent provenance (handed down through a family with roots at a particular company), the best you can do with art glass is 'Stourbridge region'.  

Some of the companies had line drawings and some of that material can be researched in current publications.  For instance, the book on John Walsh Walsh has a bunch of design patterns shown.  However, that does not mean other companies did not copy work, or even that John Walsh Walsh copied someone and added it to their design book!

If you want to double your money on that tazza, I can send payment immediately!  Way to go!

Regards

Dave Peterson
aka Mr. Vaseline Glass