Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: petet63 on July 27, 2015, 03:12:29 PM
-
I have this vase I am trying to find out about. It is a Stuart crystal piece with the etched mark for 1926-1950. R Pierce was at Stuart during 1937-1939. That is all my searches gave up. I Recently Sold some glasses that were from the RMS Queen Mary that had the 3 wave rings cut in them. This piece has the same Wave Pattern and the theme of it is obvious. Is it possible this piece came off the ship. I can only find the exact description of this vase online but no photos or any other info. Any help appreciated.
-
I love that vase , i have had a lot of Stuart for the shipping lines , you may find more info under Stonier they supplied shipping lines with Stuart glass , also Nigel Benson may be able to help .
-
Thanks johnphilip, it is really nice all apart from a nick just above the tip of the larger seagull. I did try the Stonier route. There could be a mark on it but so hard to find in the age wear. Can't get an explanation for the initials after his name either. I found this...page 131 with the same theme of waves and birds with more initials after his name. http://faslondon.com/media/exhibition_files/The%20John%20Scott%20Collection%20-%20A%20Christmas%20Spectacular%20catalogue%202014.pdf
-
Hello Pete... in your link to the Scott collection - the Pierce vase with seagulls and waves, item 418 shown on page 131 - the letters HRP after his name are, according to C.H. (C20 Glass - Vol. 1) the initials of his facsimile signature. There is a picture of the Scott vase in said C.H. volume on page 171, and on page 168 there is some useful information regarding Pierce's work in the late 1920- early 1930's when he was employed at Stonier's prior to being employed as a designer at Stuart in the immediate pre-war years you mention.
There is another picture of your 'link vase' on page 10 of Nigel's collaboration with Jeanette Hayhurst (ART DECO TO POST MODERNISM) where it's described as a "bucket shape vase cut with birds flying between waves, designed by A. E. Pierce" - not sure why there is a difference in the quoted initials - perhaps some commercial reason.
Unfortunately, this still leaves us high and dry as to the meaning of the initials N.R.D. on your vase posted here. Shouldn't speculate, but wonder if this has some connection with one of the senior Stuart family members/directors who were also involved in cutting patterns/designs - just a thought. But since it carries Pierce's own name that would seem unlikely - perhaps just another variation on his own initials.
But the point of all this waffle was to say simply that if you read C.H. - page 168 that I've mentioned - it does appear that additional information on Reg. Pierce is held by Broadfield House Glass Museum, and always a chance that they will be able to help you in your quest. So certainly worth contacting them.
Unfortunately, no one has yet surfaced to confirm if ANY of Pierce's work - whilst at Stuart 1937/39 - has ever been found marked with the Stonier -S-. so perhaps presently not possible to say if any of his marine type of designs went directly into shipping line use, although the obvious connection re waves, seagulls and fish etc. might tempt us to think so. Of course, someone may now be able to correct me on this, but maybe as his work was a bit special and limited in production then perhaps not.
I know that Stuart had family links with Stonier, but didn't that that they owned Stonier. I've had some ordinary pieces with the -S-, they're not that difficult to find even now.
Unrelated to Stuart completely, but worth mentioning, is another item from the Scott collection - No. 421 on page 132. This is a red core vase cased in light blue, and quoted as being English mid C20, although it has massive similarity to a Jan Baranek pulled lobes vase designed around 1965 for Skrdlovice. There is a picture in Mark Hill's book 'Hi Sklo Lo Sklo' on page 27 - although the book example is green and topaz.
-
Re. the 'N.R.D', the same initials also appear after Clyne Farquharson's name on some early 40s examples of his designs for Walsh Walsh. I'm sure I read that it stood for 'National Register of Designers' or something along those lines -- just can't find the reference at the moment...
Edit: should be 'Nationally Registered Designer' -- see Glass Encyclopedia article on Walsh Walsh here: http://www.glassencyclopedia.com/JWalshWalshglass.html Presumably R. Pierce was similarly registered?
-
Mosquito... I did search for initials after the names of designers using 'Registered Designer' as that seemed to be the obvious way to go but I found nothing so thank you for that :)
Hi Paul, as always, very much appreciated help. I did try to contact the Museum but got Dudley Council acting like a doctors receptionist :-) I thought this would be easy...I should know better by now ! I will put the CH Book on my 'what to buy me' list for my OH and look for an email that doesn't involve Dudley Council Offices. I am sure I have written to them previously but as usual my memory problem does its job well. Thanks for the help so far.
-
many thanks to Steven for reminding us of the correct answer to the question regarding the initials N.R.D. :)
In view of the comment on the Glass Encyclopedia that N.R.D. was added "from 1939 onwards", then just possible that Reg. Pierce's work may not be found with these initials - his time at Stuart is quoted as being 1937 - 1939 only.
Both C.H.'s books are essential if you collect British - very readable, but arm-aching proportions and too heavy for bath time - I wonder if the publishers offer a lectern ;) I've split and rebound the C20 book into two volumes, but even then they remain heavy if held for very long.
-
Thanks Paul. it sounds like a lot of reading is in my future. Funny though, I spend hours researching online and never class it as reading ?? that is still reserved for books in my mind. I think I will list this and see where it falls. Thank you all for the comments and info. Much Appreciated as always.
-
I have quite a few pieces of the Stuart 'wave' pattern made for RMS Queen Mary, and only one piece is marked (a decanter marked Cunard White Star) excepting the pieces sold on board...
-
NRD is/was the National Register of Industrial Art Designers. There are records of them in the National Archives: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=National+Register+of+Industrial+Art+Designers (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=National+Register+of+Industrial+Art+Designers)
It seems to have been proposed in 1935 and begun in 1936...
Reference: BT 64/14
Description: National Register of Industrial Art Designers. Draft Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Date: Year: 1936
Dissolved in 1950...
Reference: BT 31/35702/322339
Description: No. of Company: 322339; The National Register of Industrial Art Designers. Incorporated in 1936. Dissolved in 1950.
Date: 1936-1950
-
Here is an example of Clyne Farquharson's signature on a JWW 'Leaf' vase I bought last week dated 1938. As you can see he didn't always add NRD.