Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Andy on July 01, 2012, 11:01:46 AM
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Nice bowl, 1st half of 20th Century, Bubbly Green blown glass, polished pontil mark and an iridescent finish. Quite big, 5 1/2 inches tall, 8 1/2 inches wide.
Any ideas ?
Cheers
Andy
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Walsh? S&W's ?,sticking my head out again ::),awaiting the axe ;D ;D
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Not from me Keith, they are 2 of my possible ideas anyway ! ;D
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Definitely Walsh - I have an identical bowl, also with that iridescent finish, and good quality pontil depression, although regrettably no backstamp. Will post a pic. if I can find my bowl.
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It is of course from the 'Pompeian' range - iridescence not easy to catch with the camera, but think it does show up here reasonably well.
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Paul,what is the reference for this please? I can't find the shape or a piece that has that particular merese and foot shape.
Many thanks
m
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I'm not sure where the Walsh attribution comes from either ???
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my bowl was posted some eighteen months - two years ago and confirmed as Walsh at that time. Sorry, I don't have a book reference for you, and assume you are speaking of Reynolds when you say you can't find this shape. He does say that most of the Walsh records were destroyed when the factory closed in 1951 - and we know that not all of the shapes are shown in the coloured pictures - I've also been informed that this kind of iridescence was a Walsh characteristic on Pompeian pieces. Is it possible that we can get Bernard to comment again on this please.
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I was keeping schtum - my first fleeting thoughts were Walsh Pompian, but the iridesence put me right off the notion.
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http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,29989.msg162636.html#msg162636
This is an old thread dating to 2009 so it could be the information is out of date perhaps but Bernard says there
' Attributing unmarked Walsh Pompeian, of which there is a fair amount, is quite tricky. Almost all the patterns made are shown in the factory pattern books reproduced in Reynolds, either as Pompeian or Iridescent. I've only found two exceptions. There were one or two very similar contemporary ranges, and it's still being made today, as you will see if you go into the souvenir shop at a major Roman site like Segedunum or Arbeia.'
m
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and the colour...
Bernard says some Pompeian was irridised though
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thanks m..........in fact Bernard has commented on a number of occasions in recent years, regarding Walsh.........most recently (last few days) in connection with my blue grapefruit dish, where he said..........."For some time I've known that Walsh regarded the Pompeian and Iridescent range patterns as interchangeable. It may be that all coloured patterns were regarded as interchangeable, including Primrose and the one example of "Butterfly Blue".
However, I'd be the first to admit that, when unmarked, 'Pompeian' and other bubbly bretheren, can be not only difficult but - as Bernard says -very 'tricky' to attribute. I assume no one else wants to put forward an alternative factory?
It's a tragedy that this pseudo Roman glass of which Bernard speaks, is being sold without a backstamp.
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No I don't have a firm attribution to put forward, but the shape of that bowl (excluding the merese) is very similar to a Stevens and Williams much smaller bowl I had. So much so that when I saw it, that was the first thing that sprang to mind. However, I cannot tell you if Stevens and Williams did anything like this decor or with the iridescence. I have the book 'The Crystal Years' but I've found it very limited - a little like having all the corners of the jigsaw puzzle but none of the middle pieces.
I have another bowl that is crackle with green lines in it that is the same or a similar shape to the merese and foot of this bowl but the bowl itself does not flare out and curve over. |My particular piece is in the same decor as another barrel shaped one posted on the board whereby Steven commented that he thought it was a Stevens and Williams likelihood as a possible.
I'm not at all sure they are Stevens and Williams, but I am wondering if there is a maker not yet explored who was making these shapes with various decors if you see what I mean?
I appreciate the iridescent finish is quite special on top of the bubbles and possibly that will link it to Walsh, but what about the colour?
Just trying to explore all the options and I don't feel entirely comfortable that this is Walsh definitely....but as always say, I am not the best person to comment having such limited experience of these pieces
- it's just gut instinct that something doesn't quite tie up.
m
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would agree that the Williams-Thomas book, whilst very interesting, is not comprehensive enough for a collector. As you probably know, S & W did something called 'Caerleon' which was created especially to copy the surface effects of Roman glass (don't think I've seen any though) - but there is no mention of this material having bubbles - did it. Did S & W make anything that might be confused with Walsh 'Pompeian'?
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I have no idea. Stevens and Williams production is shrouded in mystery. But no I don't believe Caerleon looks like your vase and yes I do think there are bubbles in it, or at least some pieces from what I can see under a magnifying glass in CH 20th Century British Glass page 110.
I've just had a look at all the Pompeiian pieces I can find and I can't see any that have that merese and foot and none that are that shape :-\ Mind you that's only about 20 odd pieces so probably not that many. I wonder if that design shape is available in any of their other ranges?
Arculus did do a bubbly range. I wonder if yours compares to their blue one on page 98?
m
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What about other colours not in Reynolds,I've seen a piece similar to the one in this thread in a 'purple-pinky' shade :o ;D,might see if it's still there next week!
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I see you've been having a good chat while i've been out to lunch !!
Paul, you haven't seen any Caerleon Glass, how about this one ;D
Sad tale, one of the first bits I bought from an auction, knocked it on the car door on the way out , and cracked it!! :'(
i learnt not to do it again , and to be more careful !
Andy
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thanks Andy - sorry about the damage - I guess we all have a tale to tell about some disaster befalling a good piece, but at least it looks to be in one piece still :) I know nothing of this Caerleon range - other than the pix in Hajdamach, however, the bubble structure looks different to 'Pompeian' - as do the colourways. As for the Irish Bubbly Peat Glass from Arculus, that probably comes nearest to 'Pompeian' in terms of single homogenous colours, but the bubbles look too loud.
To quote Bernard again (hope he doesn't mind)...... "Walsh Pompeian made for Hill Ouston and sold by them into the antiques trade is generally unmarked with a rough pontil mark, for obvious reasons.......................however, I don't know what this obvious reason was/is.
Keith, I have a purple bubbled bowl with folded rim - I'll post it later this evening - it might be similar to what you mention.
Regret I've nothing more to add that will be of use to Andy, so will leave to all of you to continue. :)
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The rough pontil mark was to make it look antique...
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Arculus was the only other one I was going to mention but I've now become confused about their pieces.
See other thread http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,48249.msg272010.html#msg272010
And just to add, I suppose it is possible they may be from a maker that is not British :)
m
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thanks Christine :)
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So does that mean some Walsh Pompeian had a smooth polished pontil mark and other pieces did not?
m
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the answer seems to be yes.........Bernard has commented that Walsh's 'Standard Production' of Pompeian has a quality ground/polished pontil depression, which may or may not have a backstamp - and the same range, but made for Hill Ouston and to be sold with a rough pontil mark to provide that antique look.
Keith - attached is pic. of purple bubbled bowl - 12"/300mm diameter, snapped pontil, and with a long resonant ring. Note the unusual folded top rim (for strengthening, presumably). I did post this once, but don't believe there was a postive conclusion.
Apologies to Andy for including this on his thread. :)
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Thanks Paul,very similar if I remember right,sorry Andy, ;D
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Is this green bubbly bowl very heavy btw?
Paul I think this is the one you were referring to?
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,37356.msg204507.html#msg204507
here is a pic of my amber crackle with green bowl, foot and merese
m
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I think you're right m...........so it was all Keith's fault then..........well, we now know who to blame!!
Only joking Keith - my opinion remains unchanged, and that this is Pompeian.
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m , it weighs about 1kg.
Paul, a couple of long shots for your Purple bowl, Teign Valley Glass, or i see Keith Murray had a range of Bubbly glass for S & W , page 148 in the British Glass book, a similar purple colour shown there.
Cheers
Andy
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thanks - my bowl is quite a bit smaller and weighs 1kg -
m
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one more question, is it uranium glass . Bernard talks in a previous thread about his green and yellow pompeian reacting extremely strongly to uv -
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,167.msg599.html#msg599
m
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thanks Andy - I'll look re the purple bowl later, as I'm doing my David Bailey bit at the moment. :)
My bowl, similar to Andy's, weighs 900 grammes - and does NOT react under the u.v. torch.
However, on occasions when I've been to Lewis (Sussex, U.K.) I've seen loads of bubbled pieces in sellers cabinets - some of which have produced an intense glow when I've shoved the torch up against the glass of the cabinet - and I've always thought of those as definitely Walsh.
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http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1072.msg6061.html#msg6061
This bowl has appeared in the thread above as well... and no definite id of Walsh Walsh.
If you go to the first post in the thread and click on the last photobucket link it will show a picture of the same or very similar bowl I believe.
m
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Doesn't glow under uv :(
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well, I'm not saying it isn't Walsh :-* we're just trying to find the evidence that it is ;D
m