Topic: Sowerby Glass Creamer 11th March 1881

[mhgcgolfclub]

A Sowerby glass creamer in a pattern that I have not seen before.

Fully marked with Sowerby trade mark and a date lozenge for 11 March 1881.

Height 3.75" / 9.5cm
Weight 158gm

Roy

[agincourt17]

I haven’t seen an example of this pattern of Sowerby creamer before either, Roy, but it appears on page 51 of their Pattern Book XI (1885) as pattern number 1561 (along with a matching sugar basin).

The lozenge for 11 March 1881 – Parcel 2 covers 11 design registrations (RDs 362734 to 362744).

I know that Sowerby pattern is not RD 362734 (because that is pattern 1568).

Jenny Thompson and Simon Cottle describe as sugar / sugar basin  RDs 362735, 362736, 362739 and 362744, so presumably the pattern 1561 creamer and the matching sugar basin correspond to one of those design registrations.

Fred.

[Paul S.]

attractive creamer Roy, and unusual handle design - don't recall seeing anything similar before.

The majority of Board of Trade images submitted for Registration purposes were to protect a shape rather than decoration, and that is certainly the case with Sowerby Registrations from 11th March 1881, and I have copies of all eleven Board of Trade drawings from Kew.     However, when a comparison is attempted in order to link this creamer with one of the Kew images from Rds. 362734 - 362744, it becomes apparent that contrary to usual practice the connection in this instance is one of decoration only, and not shape, and since Board of Trade images don't usually show the decoration, then answers can be elusive.
Fred has shown the connection between this creamer and Sowerby's pattern 1561 sugar, by means of decorative pattern only, leaving unresolved the matter of relating both pieces to a Board of Trade Rd. No.   
I hadn't previously been aware of this problem but perhaps it's more common that might be thought.     

There wasn't a design submitted for a  creamer on that date, neither do any of these eleven National Archive images show any decoration, so to assume Board of Trade Registration protection for a creamer that doesn't relate to the image/shape on which the Registration was based, might seem a weak/tenuous link, and substantiating a connection between the creamer and the Board of Trade Registered shape would seem on the face of it impossible.   
It might be thought that Sowerby were misusing the Board of Trade rules, or at least stretching them to suit their own purposes - plus of course it makes life difficult for those of us who, 135 years later, try to link what appear to be unrelated items.
The fact that we can solve such problems is due in no small part to the Thistlewood's publication of factory pattern details, plus of course other quality publications on pressed glass.           

As suggested by Fred, it's necessary to look at the Thistlewood CD (VOLUME THREE) - Pattern Book XI - where this horizontal herringbone decoration can be seen on both a sugar and creamer under factory pattern No. 1561.
Using the shape of Sowerby's 1561 sugar, this is compared with the National Archive images from 11th March 1881, and my opinion is that it corresponds to Kew image for Rd. 362739 (picture attached), which carries Sowerby's own description of 'New Shape Sugar'.

Having made this connection, it's then obvious that the herringbone pattern of this sugar matches Roy's creamer - QED, I hope.

Please comment if people consider that Rd. 362739 doesn't compare favourably with the shape of sugar 1561 in Pattern Book XI.

[agincourt17]

Thank you, Paul, for showing the design representation for RD 362739, and for your informative reply.

I agree that the shape of the Sowerby pattern 1561 sugar in the Sowerby pattern book is certainly broadly in accord with the RD 362739 design representation (the major difference being that the pattern book shows a scalloped edge to the foot as opposed to the plain edge in the design representation).

Unfortunately I don’t have any reference photos of Sowerby pieces with registry date lozenges corresponding to RDs 362735 to 362744, and neither Thompson nor Cottle have any corresponding illustrations either for comparison.

Fred.

[Paul S.]

Rd. Nos. (ending) 34, 35, 36, 39 and 44 are all sugars of some form  ............37 and 40 are salts  .......38 is a mustard..................41 is a stick.......... and 42 and 43 are dishes (lidded and unlidded).         This should be eleven items.

I can post pix of 35 and 44, if that is all you want to see.             Let me know some time Fred.

[agincourt17]

I would love to see the pix for RDs 362735 and 362744 when convenient, please, Paul. Then I can try and link them to known Sowerby pattern numbers, too.

Fred.

[Paul S.]

hope these help with pattern No. identification.

[mhgcgolfclub]

Thanks Fred & Paul

I have a read through all the info over the weekend.

regards Roy

[agincourt17]

I think I have a probable match for Sowerby RD 362735 of 11 March 1181 – Parcel 2.

It looks very like Sowerby sugar pattern 5006, which also appears in pattern book XI, 1885.  Also shown is a matching creamer which, like Roy’s pattern 1561 creamer, has an unusual diagonal bar across the loop handle. The pattern book certainly indicates that is from a registered design.

I don’t recall ever having seen examples of the pattern 5006 sugar or creamer, and neither do I have presently have any reference photos of them. Does anyone have photos of Sowerby sugar or creamer 5006 to show, please? (hopefully with the ‘correct’ lozenge).

One more example, by the way, where the Sowerby pattern numbering sequence appears to depart radically from the known chronological sequence of the design registration dates.

Fred.