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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: BobW on May 25, 2021, 12:19:07 PM

Title: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
Post by: BobW on May 25, 2021, 12:19:07 PM
Hi all,

Recently, in a UK auction lot, I acquired a Black Pressed Glass Tea Caddy (Labelled 'Tea' on front) but am having difficulty identifying the manufacturer.

I have scoured the sites that I am aware of, Google'd to death the search engine (with numerous search criteria) and have only found the following two references (images in both are identical to my piece) but both are vague about manufacturer/history..

Image - http://blackwhitemilkglass.com/hehutecud/Very-Rare-Victorian-Pressed-White-Opaline-Milk-Glass-Tea-Caddy-c1880-Sowerby-07-dpy.jpg (http://blackwhitemilkglass.com/hehutecud/Very-Rare-Victorian-Pressed-White-Opaline-Milk-Glass-Tea-Caddy-c1880-Sowerby-07-dpy.jpg)
Previous eBay listing - https://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-2858145/antique-victorian-black-milk-glass-lidded-tea-caddy-box--sowerby--davidson-.html (https://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-2858145/antique-victorian-black-milk-glass-lidded-tea-caddy-box--sowerby--davidson-.html)



Can anyone please help?

Kindest regards,
Bob
Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
Post by: flying free on May 26, 2021, 05:24:51 PM
Can't help but I love that.  The nicest most interesting piece of glass I've seen recently :)

We need a photo of the base as well please.  Thanks.

And welcome to the board :)

Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
Post by: NevB on May 26, 2021, 05:38:14 PM
This one on Glass Queries Gallery is superficially similar and has a Sowerby mark and registration lozenge. https://www.yobunny.org.uk/glassgallery/displayimage.php?pos=-24625



Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
Post by: BobW on May 26, 2021, 09:27:17 PM
Flying free, NevB.. Thanks for the response and input  :)

Flying free - There are no markings underneath, at all (unfortunately) so the hunt goes on. Thanks for the cheery response, I like it too, I just want to try and find out more!
NevB - Oddly enough, the piece you referred me to came in the same auction lot!, (Image of the lot attached, just the three black pieces, not the two green pieces, that's a different story!)
  • The Sowerby 1388 Tea Caddy in the image on the glass gallery could almost be the same piece as the one I bought - exact same date and batch number stamp!! :)
    I have had a good look around and the only pattern I can find for the 'unknown' tea caddy that is similar is a poorly scanned image of a hand drawn Davidson piece, based purely on the 'ivy' detail, the tell tale lid with the branch/twig on top doesn't appear anywhere  >:(

  • The hunt goes on.. this is what makes dabbling in pressed glass fun, researching some obscure piece (usually only to find out it's still be knocked out somewhere in a factory in Azerbaijan or somewhere!!)

    Cheers,
    Bob
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: flying free on May 26, 2021, 09:36:13 PM
    blackandwhite site says it is shown in Lattimore.  Presumably with no identification though as they speculate that it's an English glass maker probably.
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: BobW on May 26, 2021, 10:05:09 PM
    Flying free..

    I'd actually missed the description on blackwhitemilkglass, I became too fixated on the images and didn't see the scroll bar!!  ;D

    Thank you for pointing out the reference to Lattimor's book further down the page.
    You seemed to know this book(?) - As a newbie to the world of pressed glass, are there any other books that you would recommend? (Main interest is UK glass, with a bit of German and Czech thrown in)

    Cheers,
    Bob
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: NevB on May 28, 2021, 09:18:24 AM
    Jenny Thompson's "The Identification of English Pressed Glass 1842-1908" is good. It hasn't got everything in it but it's worth a read.
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: agincourt17 on May 28, 2021, 09:45:57 PM
    Still unattributed, I'm afraid.

    Photos below of versions in white opaque and purple marbled glass.

    Fred.
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: NevB on May 29, 2021, 09:14:13 AM
    Could it be by Henry Greener? They used the twig/branch design of handle on several of their pieces and also made pieces in black, white and various marbled colours. I can't find anything with the ivy leaf pattern though.
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: BobW on June 02, 2021, 10:44:21 AM
    NevB - Thanks for the lead, I'll start poking around Greener for a bit more investigation and, if I find out anything 'concrete', report back here  ;D
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: thewingedsphinx on June 06, 2021, 08:54:14 PM
    My fathers got a black one of these, there still not attributed to anyone but I think the lead candidate is Heppell?
    It has a sharp intricate pattern and colours also match Heppell known pieces.
    Cheers Mike
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: nicola on June 12, 2021, 11:46:15 AM
    It’s beautiful, I have it in white.
    I have a feeling it could be one of the big three - Sowerby, Davidson or Greener. Each one had designs featuring twigs for lids and naturalistic decorations, my hunch is that it is probably not Greener because the quality is really good.
    Here is it in the Lattimore book where it goes unattributed but a lovely example of highly detailed work.
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: BobW on June 12, 2021, 10:30:48 PM
    Nicola

    It is a nice pice with sharp detail  :)

    Out of curiosity, does yours have a centre divider? The white ones I've managed to view on t'internet do have but my black one doesn't - not even a groove for a removable divider.

    Cheers for the response, with a bit of luck we may get to the bottom of this one!  :D
    Title: Re: Black Pressed Glass Tea 'Caddy' - Help Needed! :)
    Post by: nicola on June 23, 2021, 01:16:36 PM
    Yes, mine has a divider. It might be one that you’ve seen already as I bought it last year, it had a chip on the corner which I fixed with Milliput. I remember seeing another about 10 years ago at the Birmingham Glass Fair and that was black but I can’t remember the inside. What’s the underside of yours like? Mine has two ridges underneath.