Topic: Please confirm that this is a Sowerby sweetmeat pattern 968.

[nick.a]

Hi,
I believe that this may be a Sowerby sweetmeat dish pattern #968 from page 44 of the 1885 catalogue and I'm hoping that Paul, Fred or another English glass expert can confirm this. If you see this Fred, please feel free to use the photos if needed, and accept my thanks for the excellent work on the new Davidson photo database, it's very much appreciated.
Kind regards
Nick

[Paul S.]

all that I can say Nick is that I've checked the Thistlewood CD catalogue, and it does look very much like Sowerby pattern 968 that you mention.            Fred is vastly more knowledgeable about these things, so hopefully he'll be able to confirm or otherwise.           Have to say that instinctively I'd have assumed this was a sugar, so am surprised that the description is a 'sweetmeat'.

[nick.a]

Thanks Paul,
I was thinking sugar as well, though I'm still not sure how they distinguished bonbon, comport, sugar, tazza and sweetmeat etc. . For sure it's a different language from ours.
Kind regards
Nick

[agincourt17]

Well identified, Nick, - I think your ID is spot on! This is the first example of the pattern that I have seen.

Please find below the pattern book illustration of the Sowerby 968 sweetmeat for permanent direct comparison and reference.

Interesting to see that it was produced in obscure and plain versions. Presumably an unregistered design (especially as the pattern book image has no little lozenge alongside it).

I assume that there was not even a peacock head trademark lurking among the decoration.

Without having seen the pattern book description I think that I too would have assumed it to be a sugar bowl. As to terminology, I always assume that a pedestal sweetmeat is somewhat smaller and daintier than a comparable sugar bowl, that a comport has more of a shallow dish top than a bowl, and that a tazza has a flat / almost flat top.

Thank you for your kind permission, Nick. I will add the photos to the Sowerby photo reference gallery a.s.a.p.

Glad you found the initial entries in the Davidson photo reference gallery useful. Still quite a lot more work to do though, but I’ve had other more urgent priorities lately.

I think I will ask Anne to set me up a similar database for unregistered Greener designs in due course.

Fred.

[nick.a]

Hi Fred,
Thanks for the confirmation and the explanation of terms.
I think the 'obscured and plain' notation may be specific to the alternating obscured/plain panels of this pattern, rather than meaning that it comes in either plain or obscured versions.
Unfortunately, as you assumed there are no lozenge, rd. no. or peacock marks.
I must admit to being surprised to find how prolific Greener were, and I look forward to your new image database in due course. I'm sure it will be equally as important and successful as your others.
Kind Regards
Nick