Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: glassobsessed on May 14, 2024, 08:12:06 AM
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A thick walled and heavy tumbler this one but would it be described as deceptive? Like a Tavern rummer I have it might simply be built to survive the odd knock. Anyway, it is 11.5cm tall and weighs in at 612g so not dainty, with a polished pontil mark and oodles of wear on the base.
I assume Victorian in date (plenty of leeway!) but can we say anything else about it?
John
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I would say it's just an ale/beer glass/tumbler not a deceptive. Apparently pubs could sell a "glass" of beer as long as it was under half a pint, the link below is interesting: I would think Victorian but it might be earlier, Sowerby made a large range of tumblers.
https://zythophile.co.uk/2015/03/28/more-notes-towards-a-history-of-the-beer-mug/
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In the little book Glass Tumblers 1700-1900 by John Brooks, there is a pretty much identical looking tumbler on page 25. That one is dated to 1856 by an engraved inscription. He describes it as a deceptive tumbler, 8.4cm tall.
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Thank you both for taking a look and commenting, this is fairly large by comparison and holds over half a pint, nearly 300ml or 10 fl oz.
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There are several in this Sowerby catalogue which appear to have the same heavily moulded base but no sizes given.
http://www.victorianpressedglass.com/pdf/sowerby/sowerby_1885.pdf
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It’s interesting to see the variations in wall thickness in the tumblers shown in the catalogue. They could obviously make a tumbler with relatively uniform thinish walls so presumably the ones with thicker walls at the bottom are designed to be deceptive to a degree.
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Remember I know nothing about older glass, but this tumbler does remind me a bit, in overall internal shape (thick walled and with a very thick base with the shaped hollow extending into the base), of taller and slimmer contemporary tumblers for iced tea or coffee.
They turned up as donations when I worked in Oxfam.
I think the glass itself was perhaps a little on the yellow side. The overall feel was of old fashioned ice cream parlour glassware.
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Iced tea !!,I’ve been pondering on those type of glasses for ages Sue and i’ve picked up a few interesting examples in the past.I wonder if also the reverse maybe true aswell ??,thicker glass for hot drinks?,John’s glass looks antique .
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Twelve pages of tumblers in that catalogue, that is a huge number of designs being offered in a single year. They must have been good sellers.
I need to have a close look at this tumbler again, it is not here with me so will have to wait until later. Somewhere I have a couple of very thin tumblers too, will dig them out for contrast.