Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Riachli on December 31, 2015, 02:34:07 AM
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Hi - I would appreciate help in identifying the Sowerby piece shown in the site above, namely WHAT IS IT?! and what Sowerby pattern is it? It is 4 little legs, 2 handles, 4 frosted or stippled panels, and a lovely quatrefoil (?) base. It is about 3.5 inches high and about 4.5 inches wide, excluding the handles. The inside of the container part is a bit worn, and the Sowerby stamp dates it to the late 1880s. Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Liz
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Welcome to the GMB, Liz.
This is an uncommon Sowerby tableware pattern, but is shown on page 50 of the Sowerby pattern book XI of 1885 as a sugar bowl, and a covered/lidded example is shown on page 59.
The pattern is shown as being from a registered design, so when you say it has the Sowerby ‘stamp’, does it have an embossed Sowerby peacock head trademark or a diamond-shaped registry date mark (or both)?
I don’t have a reference photo for this pattern so I don’t know the precise registration date for the design, but I would expect it to be some time in 1879 or very early in 1880.
If there is a diamond-shaped registry date mark could you let me have more details of the letters and numbers in the internal angles of the diamond , please? - preferably beginning with the letter or number at the 12 o’clock position [under the III in a ring] and working clockwise around the Rd mark in the centre of the diamond?
From those details I can get the full date of registration (including the Parcel number), and the registered design number(s) in the parcel.
Fred.
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I think this was queried via my web site www.glassyeye.com? If so, then it does have both the Sowerby peacock mark, but it was hard to determine the lozenge identification marks from the photo. If they are difficult to photo, then a description would help.
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Here is a picture of the stamp. (1/3)
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Here is a picture of the stamp. (2/3)
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Here is a picture of the stamp. (3/3)
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Thank you for the photos of the marks, Liz.
Unfortunately, they are too small for me to read the precise details of the date signifier characters on the registry date lozenge.
Fred.
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Hi, Fred, I believe the marks say 14, D, and E going clockwise...
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Thank you, Liz.
The ‘missing’ character would appear to be ‘9’, making the lozenge read 14-D-E-9, which translates to a date of 14 May 1878 – Parcel 9, corresponding to a bundle of 12 designs registered by Sowerby on that date, registered design numbers 321368 to 321379 inclusive.
This is a slightly earlier RD number and registration date than would have been expected purely by following Sowerby’s pattern number sequence.
The pattern 1397 sugar that you have appears to be from RD 321369 (described in Jenny Thomson’s "Identification of English Pressed Glass 1842-1908" book and Simon Cottle's "Sowerby of Gateshead" book as a ‘sugar box’ (the design registration being for the base only, not including the cover on the covered version).
Having now checked back through my reference photos I have found a somewhat blurry one of the lidded/covered version for comparison (see below).
Fred.
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Wow, Fred, thank you for all that information! I appreciate your time and efforts to help! I didn't think it was a sugar bowl because there was no indentation for a spoon....it is certainly very pretty with the lid, too. I guess it was common for Sowerby to number their patterns rather than name them. Thanks again for your help - all the best in the new year! Liz
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There was no indentation for a spoon because, until the introduction of granulated and cubed sugar in the late 19th century, sugar came in tall, conical, solid ‘loaves’ which varied in size considerably according to the sugar grade, and from which pieces were broken off with special iron sugar-cutters (sugar nips) shaped something like very large heavy pliers with sharp blades attached to the cutting sides. The broken pieces of the sugar loaf were then placed into the sugar bowl or basin or box, from whence they were removed with sugar tongs.
When powdered sugar was called for in a recipe, the cook had to use a mortar and pestle, or possibly a spice-mill. Some sugar-boxes had compartments for powdered sugar alongside the lumps. Finely sifted sugar could also be used in a caster, or sprinkler.
See: http://www.oldandinteresting.com/sugar-nippers.aspx
Fred.
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That makes perfect sense and explains why the container or "box" is so big. I do have a crystal sugar shaker but never made the connection re the various forms sugar could come in. The tracking of glass items and patterns is also a fascinating commentary on society/economy evolution!
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Hey Fred
I thought the photo of the pot with the lid looked familiar!
https://web.archive.org/web/20050404042258/http://pressedintime.com/sowerby.htm
I made them quite small for obvious reasons ;) if you'd like a larger photo I can dig one out for you or retake it :)
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The matching creamer, the lozenge confirming the registration details.
The tiny little triangle under the spout looks deliberate, in use it steadies the jug against the rim of a cup.
John