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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: flagstaff on January 29, 2005, 09:13:58 PM

Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: flagstaff on January 29, 2005, 09:13:58 PM
What can anyone tell me about this Glass Boat Rd42947 Sowerby 10 Feb 1886 ?  
http://tinypic.com/1houj9

Thanks
Ian
Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Cathy B on February 03, 2005, 07:59:53 AM
This is taken directly from (Australian) Collectables Trader February/March 2001, written by prolific Australian collector Gary Workman.

"Sowerby registered pattern number 42947 on the 10th February 1886 and it has been known for many years as the Daisy Block or Blocked Daisy pattern. [...]

"Daisy Block Row Boats were produced along with a whole suite of glassware in the Daisy Block pattern. The first row boats were produced in 1886 in flint (clear) glass in four sizes - 4 1/2", 10", 12" and 15" long. Only one size of stand (which is extremely difficult to find in any colour) was produced and used only for the three larger size row boats. The small 4 1/2" row boat is a salt container and does not require a stand. Together with the flint (clear) colour the row boats were also produced in opal, blanc-de-lait, Sowerby's malachite colours, blue aqua and Sowerby's vitro porcelain colour range [ed: i.e. white]. All of the colours mentioned were made from 1886 until about 1910.

"When Sowerby introduced their carnival glass range in the late 1920s, the row boat was the only mould to have survived from the Daisy Block pattern suite of glassware.

"The colours found in carnival glass are marigold, purple and a hard to find aqua. The keel sections were ground flat to ensure a good level contact and they were simply flower holders to decorate a table. The row boats are sometimes found with a Sowerby peacock trademark and the 92947 registration number. To my [ed: i.e. Gary's] knowledge only the carnival glass examples have a ribbed interior pattern."


You have done well to find one with a stand! (Unless they are more common in the UK than Australia - maybe someone else can comment). Hope that helps a little.

Cathy.
Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Glen on February 03, 2005, 09:09:23 AM
I think the text in that last sentence above may have suffered in transposition from the original. It looks (as per the caption text) as if there are several sizes of Daisy Block Rowboat in Carnival. There is, in fact, just one size known in Carnival Glass - the 12".

It also looks (as per the caption) as if there is an opal Carnival example and a briston (?) blue Carnival one, and a clear Carnival one. I'm sure it's just a transposition error, but I thought it was best that I mentioned it.

(Please note that Cathy has kindly edited the comments referred to above).

Gary's comment earlier in the article ("The colours found in carnival glass are marigold, purple and a hard to find aqua") was right on. I would add that the amethyst/purple is also hard to find. I have never seen a Carnival Glass stand, but people have told me they have seen them. No-one has yet produced a photo of one (or better yet, the actual item). Does anyone have a stand in Carnival? If so - a pic please :shock:

Finally, in answer to Cathy's question: "You have done well to find one with a stand! (Unless they are more common in the UK than Australia - maybe someone else can comment)."  Well I have never found a stand that I could afford! They are not easy to find (IMHO) - but then, the boat isn't exactly common either. From my experience, the marigold Carnival Daisy Block rowboats are scarce and the amethyst and aqua are downright rare.

I've got opinions on the availability of the other colors, but I haven't studied them (with a view to airing my opinion in public) so I'll wait and see if anyone else would like to add their two pennorth.

Glen
Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Frank on February 03, 2005, 11:52:31 AM
Going by the glass boats on eBay it would seem that these were in vogue with several English glassmakers of that period. Was their some historic event that led to the rowboat motif? First Channel crossing in a rowboat etc?
Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Glen on February 03, 2005, 12:34:49 PM
Yep, lots of boats in the late 1800s  :D  They were probably issued (circa mid to late 1880s) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Grace Darling's amazing North Sea rescue that took place in 1838. There are lots of websites where you can read about Grace Darling - here's a couple of them (the first is the Grace Darling Museum)
http://www.holy-island.info/gracedarling/
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.elkin/darling.htm

She had courageously rowed out through stormy seas with her father, in a lifeboat, to save people from a wrecked ship. The incident took place off the Northumbrian coast, in the area where the NE glassworks (Sowerby, Davidson etc) were located.

We have a pink Daisy and Button boat - Edward Bolton RD - that has the words GRACE DARLING moulded into it. It's an interesting item as it bears two moulded RDs and the Grace Darling wording is also on twice. One RD is 23527 (has to be circa March 1885), the other is 39414 (Dec 11, 1885).

I'm sure one of our contributors knows more about this than I do, and will chip in.

Glen
Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Cathy B on February 03, 2005, 11:43:48 PM
Glen:  Whoops!!!!  :D Will go back and delete the caption related text. In the eyes, out the fingers - years of mindless typing pool experience showing....

I've read that Hobbs (West Virginia?) did a daisy and button yacht series, and that these were reproduced a few times over the last 150 years, and that few of the repros are marked. I'm sure someone knows more that that (sketchy, fourth or fifth hand information :).

Cathy B.
Title: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: flagstaff on February 06, 2005, 11:06:12 PM
many thanks for the very interesting and useful replies concerning the Sowerby glass boat -oops Daisy Pattern Rowboat. It now has pride of place in our china cabinet with a suitable placard of its history.
Thankyou from Ian
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: mhgcgolfclub on March 30, 2012, 09:13:18 PM
Added for reference the stand is registered RD52434 July 13th 1886

Roy
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Paul S. on March 30, 2012, 09:36:36 PM
now why don't I have a stand?..................I must have half a dozen boats in varying sizes, but none ever came with a stand :(
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Frank on July 08, 2012, 09:38:45 PM
Stands all got sold to collectors of 'Desk Ware' as Calligraphy pen holders  ;D
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: KathyS on January 14, 2020, 01:43:42 PM
Hi all, just wanted to know if anyone has seen this Sowerby Daisy Block boat & stand in Citrine glass? I acquired it recently, & have been told it is quite rare, & especially found with the stand. It is the 10" size, & has the impressed peacock mark & reg.# 42947 on the boat.
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: KathyS on January 14, 2020, 01:46:40 PM
Sorry, have just added more pics!!
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Paul S. on January 14, 2020, 01:54:14 PM
Hi Kathy  -  very nice set indeed.             The daylight colour does appear as citrine, though I expect most people here will refer to this one as a uranium example.              There appear to have been three sizes in this particular model No. 1874 - the Registration for which is dated 10th February 1886  ….  size are 10" - 12" and 15".
Sowerby made a few 'boats' in this moulded method  -  though model 1874 might be the only pattern that came with its own stand  -  certainly 1874 was the largest of their boats.

Congratulations - a very good find, particularly in uranium.
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Paul S. on January 14, 2020, 03:02:35 PM
as always, the edit facility switches off too quickly  -  but having now read some of the comments in the earlier posts above, which I hadn't done before typing my words above, I notice that in the other various comments from the more learned contributors, uranium was absent from the given colours.
In the light of this would assume we must consider uranium for model 1874 boats to be very rare.
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: KathyS on January 14, 2020, 04:55:56 PM
Thank you for your input Paul, yes mine would be considered Uranium glass, I just thought Citrine in colour ;) I didn't know about the model number 1874 also...there was only one size stand made for all the sizes. Flint was produced in four sizes.
In this big world of glass collectors, I thought maybe someone may have, or have seen another uranium example, and for the same reason as you said, I have not read anywhere of a uranium model being produced.
I thought I would put it on this board, hoping to reach a wider audience...thanks again.
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: thewingedsphinx on January 20, 2020, 11:11:57 AM
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,68345.msg380253.html#msg380253

More info
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: Paul S. on January 20, 2020, 12:54:05 PM
I'd not seen the results of your 'boating' work Mike  -  very interesting and some very choice pieces there  -  v.g. finds, and thanks for posting.

Several years back I found no less than three examples of the B. T. canoe, in uranium, at one auction  -  sadly they've also now all gone :'( 
Title: Re: Sowerby Glass Boat
Post by: thewingedsphinx on January 20, 2020, 02:17:15 PM
Yes dad likes his boats, the BT ones are definitely very creative and along with the yellow ones very sought after. Thanks Mike