Topic: Please help identify this pressed glass pedestal sugar/bonbon dish. ID = Sowerby

[nick.a]

Hi Everyone,
Wishing you all a happy Easter.
I picked up this part frosted pedestal sugar basin mostly because it reminds me of the Percival, Yates and Vickers one I bought recently. I thought it might be by Molineaux & Webb but haven't found anything yet. I would be grateful for any information.
Best Regards
Nick

[nick.a]

There are striking similarities to the Sowerby RD 281933 of 1874 shown here on a previous discussion by Agincourt 17: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?topic=52218.0
Which one influenced the other though? any pointers gratefully received.
Thanks

[nick.a]

I think this may be Sowerby pattern number 898 from their 1885 catalogue, but would appreciate confirmation of that.
Regards
Nick

[Paul S.]

yes, think I'd agree with you.                    On the CD catalogue it appears on page 46 of Book XI  from 1885 with factory pattern No. 898 as you've said.
There isn't any diamond/lozenge accompanying the drawing, so the suggestion is that this is a variation on pattern 1074 possibly, which had already been Registered with the Board of Trade in April 1874.          The only anomaly to this line of thought is that this pattern No. 898, with the stars, seems to have ended up with a factory No. lower in sequence that the earlier original example from 1874, which has the higher No. of 1074.

Fred may well know more about this numbering system  -  I do know that numbers were certainly allocated out of sequence on occasions. 

[nick.a]

Thank you Paul. It's nice to have confirmation from someone so knowledgeable. Your reasoning about the registration of the design seems most logical given the similarities. The numbering is a bit of a quandary.
Kind Regards
Nick

[agincourt17]

Thank you for showing the sugar bowl, Nick.

I would agree with you and Paul that the sugar bowl is most likely Sowerby pattern 898 (especially with those little bobbles between the stem and the foot.

Illustration from the pattern book for reference and comparison.

A nice find, and certainly an uncommon pattern.

Although there are lots of anomalies in the broad chronology of the Sowerby pattern numbering system, I suspect that the designs of the vast majority of low pattern numbers (below 103X) date from pre-1872. Since Sowerby’s earliest design registrations were in February 1872 it is not surprising that the 898 sugar bowl has no registry date lozenge (almost certainly an unregistered design), and also explains why there is no Sowerby peacock head trademark (which was introduced in 1876).

May I have Nick’s permission to add copies of his photos to the Glass Queries Gallery of Sowerby pattern numbers at
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/thumbnails.php?album=1001&page=1
please? - with due credit, of course.

Fred.

[nick.a]

Thanks Fred, It's just good to get a confirmed ID, let alone all the additional information from both Paul and yourself. Feel free to use the photos (no credit required). I've checked the Sowerby photo database at Glass Queries Gallery many times and have to say how much I appreciate all your hard work in making such a great resource available.
Kind Regards
Nick

[agincourt17]

Thank you, Nick.

Fred.

[Paul S.]

quote from Nick regarding Fred's invaluable work re the pressed glass database      "appreciate all your hard work in making such a great resource available."     Fred is indeed to be congratulated for all his hard work on this project - of great assistance to all who collect pressed glass.