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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: chopin-liszt on February 04, 2012, 04:50:38 PM

Title: Probably Irish, possibly rather old, heavily cut liquer glasses... opinions?
Post by: chopin-liszt on February 04, 2012, 04:50:38 PM: :hi:
I found these two glasses in Belfast - on a bric-a-brac stand in the wonderful Farmer's market they have.

They're a bit strange. On first looking they seem very similar as if they might be a pair, but they are definitely not.

The're both different colours. One is yellowish glass, the other is sun-purpled.
And while the cutting looks to be the same pattern, it is completely different on each glass.

There are different numbers of panels cut around the top part - 14 on the sun-purpled glass and 12 on the yellower one.
Between the bulge and the knop of each, there are 8 panels.
Below the knop, there are 8 panels on the sun-purpled one, but 9 on the yellower one.

The cutting on the knops is not quite the same and there are different numbers of repeats of the pointy sharp bits on the bulge.

I was wondering if the same-but-different patterns might indicate a cottage industry of cutters..... ????
Title: Re: Probably Irish, possibly rather old, heavily cut liquer glasses... opinions?
Post by: chopin-liszt on February 04, 2012, 04:59:36 PM: Last pic - the pontil mark on the other glass.
The pontil marks are completely different sizes, but both are completely round.

I'm a bit stuck for finding age-related wear to the bases. I think they actually sit on a very, very very narrow ring.

I can feel age-related wear with my fingernail. I just can't SEE it.
I was wondering if I used a wee drip of coffee on the base to "delineate" the wear, by "printing" it on a bit of paper?
Might that work?

Everything about them screams old. "Poor" colour and frit - but very heavily worked and a bit wonky.
Title: Re: Probably Irish, possibly rather old, heavily cut liquer glasses... opinions?
Post by: ahremck on February 04, 2012, 09:00:13 PM: Could the "thistle" shape indicate they were from Scotland rather than Ireland, I wonder?

Ross
Title: Re: Probably Irish, possibly rather old, heavily cut liquer glasses... opinions?
Post by: chopin-liszt on February 05, 2012, 11:55:10 AM: I think the incongruities are more in keeping with an Irish origin than a Scottish one...
Title: Re: Probably Irish, possibly rather old, heavily cut liquer glasses... opinions?
Post by: Leni on February 06, 2012, 09:53:47 AM: You don't mention the size of these, Sue. I have a small 'Thistle' glass, but with a merese instead of a knop (and 11 panels round the top and a polished out pontil mark! ;D ) I would think so many companies must have made this shape that it would be very difficult to find out a maker for yours!
Title: Re: Probably Irish, possibly rather old, heavily cut liquer glasses... opinions?
Post by: chopin-liszt on February 06, 2012, 12:19:31 PM: They're 3.5 inches tall.
I'd agree that it's a very common sort of thistle design, my curiosity was piqued more by the fact that they're together and so different from each other.