Topic: I say Whitefriars, you say...?

[Pinkspoons]

Bit of an oddity, this.

5.25" tall, vertical controlled bubbles, 5 vertical optic ribs, exact match for WF's Ruby colourway, has many WF attributes in quality and design...

...but it doesn't pop up in any catalogues. There are a few 'nearly right' patterns, but the presence vertical ribs nay-say all of them. The base seems to have some indication of lobes, which would make it nearly spot on for patt 9355 (ignoring the ribbing) but they don't translate to the rest of the outside of the vase so they could just be due to the internal ribs. It's also on the Is It Whitefriars board, but on the off-chance that someone recognises it as a non-WF piece, I thought I'd post it here too.

Overview
Base
Inside showing the vertical ribs

Edit: The vase next to the similar 9355 pattern:
Two Vases

[wrightoutlook]

Whitefriars.

[Pinkspoons]

It's an uncatalogued shape, if it is... so here's hoping!  

[vidrioguapo]

I still think it pat. 9355 Nic.  I have VERY closely examined mine - I have a Sea Green and a Sapphire Blue. Both of mine have slightly different bases, one more lobed than the other.  I think you may be confusing vertical optic ribs with the natural small "folds" in the glass as it tapers to the base.  Almost like a crease.  If they were true optic ribs, whether vertical or horizontal, they would create some distortions in the glass when viewed from the outside, which they don't seem to be doing on yours, and certainly not on mine.  I do think it is a slightly "off" shape of 9355 which is  a bit more tumbler shaped....don't forget these were hand blown items and some slight variations may occur....remember the beaked vases we discussed some while ago and the variations in sizes and shapes of those??  Emmi

[Pinkspoons]

The ribs are very distinct, go right to the top of the vase (as can be seen in the 3rd photograph) and do distort anything behind the glass - it's just difficult to show because the colour is dark. I'll have another go at photographing it to see if I can show the effect more fully.

[Pinkspoons]

Couldn't get one photo to show the ribbing, so I threw together a quick .gif animation. It doesn't show it terribly well, either, but it gives a bit of a hint.

It's a little over 300k, so patience may be required

Animation

And a view of the world from inside the vase, giving a clear picture of the ribs:

Animation (250k)

[vidrioguapo]

And a view of the world from inside the vase, giving a clear picture of the ribs:

Blimey it looks lile a heart operation!!!

Can't add any more Nic, you have it and are handling it, so if you don't think it conforms to Pat 9355, you'll have to keep searching! emmi

[Pinkspoons]

It's a surgeon's-eye view of the clutter on my study desk.  :lol:

I would say that it conforms with a lobeless 9355 in every way, except for the ribbing.

[Pinkspoons]

Nope... I've searched and searched - and haven't found anything that conforms with this vase, so I'm just going to chalk it up as a squiffy 9355. I'm not confident enough in the differences to fall into eBay "Super-rare experimental Whitefriars" hyperbole, I'm afraid!

I always seem to find the dodgy-shaped ones! 

[sph@ngw]

Remember all beautiful pieces start as a rather rough and ready first version and gradually the craftsman gets better and better and is finally making them like a "master" craftsman. That is my experience working 40 years in a glass factory!
And yes some of the "dodgy" experimental ones do get sold or given as friggers to the craftsman to sell off for some beer money.
Mind you they took the trouble to hand polish the base.......
Often the team that makes it shares a drink with the guys and ladies in the processing shop! "You scratch my back"  sort of thing!