Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: mhgcgolfclub on May 29, 2013, 08:09:44 PM
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Fred
A small Sowerby creamer registered 17th December 1875. Please feel to use images if they are of any use or let me know if you would like larger pictures of any items I have posted.
Roy
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Thank you, Roy.
The Sowerby pattern number is 1129, and there is a matching open sugar bowl which appears on page 48 of the Sowerby pattern book XI (1885), and a covered sugar bowl (with rope handle lid) on page 58 of the same pattern book.
The lozenge corresponds to RDs 297041 and 297042, and Thompson gives the description as "Sugar and sweetmeat. Suite of Glass (rope handle)", but I'm still not sure which RD number belongs to which of the pieces yet.
I already have a reference photo of the creamer, but I would be really grateful if someone could post photos of the matching sugar and sweetmeat for me, please.
On reflection, perhaps the open sugar on page 48 of the pattern book is Thompson's "sweetmeat".
Fred.
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I don't have a copy of Pattern Book XI, and can't find a book picture of 1129, so not able to help really - other than to say that I've just trawled Silber & Fleming re the difference between open sugars and sweetmeats. The former is usually of thicker glass with a larger/deeper bowl and substantial pedestal stem and foot - also often with a wavy rim of sorts.
Sweetmeats appear smaller and more delicate - dessert dishes if you like - of thinner glass and often with a hollow stem and with more delicate foot.
I hope to get to Kew tomorrow for a few hours and if I have the time will look at 297041/42.
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Some Kew images of Rd. Nos. 297041 and 297042 - National Archives references are............ for the Representations it's BT 43/62 and for the Register it's BT 44/7.
If you've never seen any of these mid-Victorian volumes you missed a treat - well worth getting a reader's ticket just to see some of these wonderful images.
Obviously, sincere thanks as always to the people at Kew..........it's unlikely they ever look in to the GMB, but no harm in reminding folk of their agreement to help with publishing these pix.
No problem with the sugar bowl - the Victorians had very sweet teeth, and were knee deep in these things - but the sweetmeat is unusual in its design in having no handle or stem. Shape wise they seem to have morphed lots since the early C18 - there's nothing quite like this in either of my Silber & Fleming books - a couple of the shallow-bowled things with stems and a few of what we tend to call 'nappies' (saucer shaped dishes with ring-shaped handles). Lots of comports - for table use - maybe sweetmeats were disappearing by this date.
The Register says......."ornamental design for a suite of glass - CLASS 3.
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Many thanks, Paul. Queries totally resolved.
RD 297041 is definitely Sowerby pattern number 1129, and this covers the open sugar, the covered sugar, and the creamer.
Now that I know exactly what RD 297042, the sweetmeat, is supposed to look like, I can conform that it appears as pattern number 1031 (along with other sweetmeats or jellies) at the bottom of page 44 of pattern book X! (1885).
I have yet to see a photo or actual example of pattern 1031 though.
As you say, Paul, the registration representations are works of art in their own right - if only they were available online....
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Just had this from my husband for Christmas..think it is the dish you are referring too.....the creamer I have had for a while.
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Managed to take some sharper pictures :)