Glass Message Board

Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Calliera on May 03, 2015, 07:57:38 PM

Title: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Calliera on May 03, 2015, 07:57:38 PM
Hello

Can anyone help me with a date for this glass and any information.  It has got three dice in the bottom.   It is approx 102mm x 80mm.

Many thanks
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Paul S. on May 04, 2015, 08:21:36 AM
Hi - welcome to the GMB.

In view of the wheel engraved motif and wording, there could be a supposed association with drinking glasses known as 'the last drop' or similar, but I'm not aware of any historic tumblers incorporating dice.          Bearing in mind what appear to be plastic dice then far more likely this is modern, and used either purely as a novelty for drinks only, or could be for throwing dice in role play games.          Possibly from the last 20 - 30 years.         
Would be interesting to know how the dice - assuming they are plastic - survive within what presumably is initially hot glass.

However, interesting piece, and not one we've had on the Board previously. :) 
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Lustrousstone on May 04, 2015, 09:01:47 AM
Can we see a base shot. Have you checked that the base is actually glass and not an insert holding the dice in (which can't be plastic if they are truly embedded in the glass)? Could it be a Clash souvenir?
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Anne on May 04, 2015, 12:40:29 PM
Hello and welcome to the board! What an interesting first query you have posted... I believe this is a type of glass used for gambling  in taverns etc.... I found a similar one on the Winterthur Museum website here:
http://uncorked.winterthur.org/consumption-equipage/drinking-games/
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Anne on May 04, 2015, 12:44:00 PM
Another mention of them here: https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/quirky-quaffing-bottoms-up/
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Paul S. on May 04, 2015, 01:16:49 PM
oh well, back to sleep I guess ;)      well done Anne, and I would think of some value then, so treat with care!
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Calliera on May 04, 2015, 04:17:32 PM
Many thanks to everyone and to Anne for the links - The bottom is also glass and I have attached some more pictures.  Would you say this is a polished Pontil mark?  Thank you all.  I think the chalky appearance is coming from the dice inside which look and sound like china.
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: KevinH on May 04, 2015, 05:17:20 PM
As an interesting point (if I am correct) ... in the second photo of the initial post, the right-hand dice has 4 and 3 on adjacent sides. But for all the dice I have lost money with, the 4 and 3 are on opposite sides, because each opposite pair should add up to 7.
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Paul S. on May 04, 2015, 05:33:06 PM
items such as tumblers and decanters, from the period which Ann's links now suggest this originates (late Georgian and Regency) tend to have wide but shallow depressions where the pontil scar has been removed.
Looking at the base of this piece it appears the depression is wide and shallow, but not entirely sure as the pix lack contrast and not easy to see, but am sure you will tell us if this is the case.
Photographing clear glass is quite an art.

Of course this glass may have been in granny's cabinet for eons, since it's a novelty item and possibly treasured and not used, but generally there would be appropriate 200 plus years of wear on the narrow band of glass on which the piece sits - the footrim.

If you angle the base to see this in reflected light, the depression should show the remnants of the grinding marks, however faint  -  they never seem to be removed completely.            You should be able to detect these lines which will all run in the same direction over the entire width of the depression
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Paul S. on May 04, 2015, 05:36:11 PM
have a feeling that some countries show certain numbers on different - not adjacent  -  sides  -  is it the Chinese??

you been shooting craps with the wrong fellas Kevin? ;)

Edited to add........    more likely that Chinese dice are left handed, and European are right handed - so it appears.
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Calliera on May 04, 2015, 06:15:42 PM
Hi Paul & Kevin

The mark on the bottom does have a shallow dip but I have been looking at it in the light to try to see the lines but am not sure what I am looking for or if there are lines running in the same direction- I  think that is definately for an expert eye lol.

I recently purchased this off ebay for £11.57 as I liked it because it looked quite quirky with the skull & crossbones.  The guy I bought it from told me that it was very old and that i'd bought a bargain so I was interested in finding out anything about it.

Thank you all again for helping - I shall keep on googling to see if I can find any more info :)


Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: brucebanner on May 04, 2015, 06:43:44 PM
If the dice are loose and the base hollow could the chalky appearance be wear from years of shaking marking the interior of the glass similar to several old glasses I have with coins loose in the stem ? .
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Paul S. on May 04, 2015, 06:47:49 PM
think I would want to see age related wear if it was that old...........    ebay sellers, in my experience, are not known for being that honest, usually.        Perhaps you have indeed been very lucky :)
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: oldglassman on May 04, 2015, 06:53:34 PM
Hi ,
         As far as I know these continued to be made into the early 20th c ,and were probably made for the armed forces messes , bars etc , maybe this one was made for this mob http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th/21st_Lancers. I have a couple somewhere but escape me at the moment , I have also seen the dice from one that was beyond keeping intact and they were glass.

cheers ,
             Peter.
Title: Re: Can anyone help me with a date for this glass
Post by: Paul S. on May 05, 2015, 07:02:09 AM
thanks Peter.