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Description, References and Size

A ships decanter with a plain body and the three neck rings are true applied neck rings. The stopper is a cut bullseye. Designed by T. Jones of Stevens and Williams Ltd. in 1963.

An elegant plain decanter in the style of Georgian ship decanters, circa.1800. The key difference between this decanter and the Georgian ones is that the stopper is not a true disc as the antique bullseye stoppers are and has a clean polished peg. This decanter also has very little wear to the base, and none of the scratches and scuffs that comes with 200 years of use.

Beware dealers either through ignorance or mischief occasionally try to sell these and similarly new decanters as Georgian. Real Georgian ship decanters like this are pretty rare and so command stiff prices. Before you part with your money, get it in your hands and think carefully, does this look 200 years old. The stopper peg should not be shiny and polished.

It should be noted that from 1931 Stevens and Williams Ltd. were selling their glass under the name Royal Brierley, and some of these decanters may have etched Royal Brierley underneath.

Reference: English and Irish Glass, Geoffrey Wills, part 16, page 9.

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 7 inches

This is a conical decanter, with a black glass stopper and clear glass body. The body of the decanter has acid etched parallels lines zig zagging across it. Designed by R.S. Williams-Thomas circa.1935.

This is a cool decanter, mis-matching stopper colours, and black in particular is a very 1930s kind of thing. This decanter is in a Royal Brierley advertisement from 1935 and jugs and glasses are shown with it. They must have considered this a very commercial design.

Reference: British Glass Between the Wars, Dudley Leisure Services. page 11.

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, Page 426.

Reference: The Studio Decorative Art Yearbook 1936, Page 131.

Height: 9 inches

Width: 6 inches

This is a rhomboid shaped decanter, with a black painted stopper and clear glass body. It has horizontal bands etched on it that were probably originally painted black. Designed by Keith Murray for Stevens and Williams of Brierley Hill in 1933, pattern number KM 371a.

Keith Murray was one of the foremost designers in the Art Deco style and designed for Stevens and Williams from 1932 to 1939. Keith Murray was such a prolific designer that only a dozen of many of the decanters he designed were manufactured, consequently this might be quite rare.

I have seen a very similar decanter with vertical lines and a silver painted stopper. As this is a mold blown decanter and the molds were relatively expensive to make, I suspect the same mold was untilised with various patterns painted and etched on it.

It is not usual for me to put my trust in auction houses, but I would like to thank Fieldings Auctioneers for the pattern number. As they are in Stourbridge I presume they have better reference material than me.

Reference: The Journal of the Glass Association, Volume 2 1987. page 57.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, Page 505.

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, Page 426.

Reference: Christies Collecting Decanters, Jane Hollingworth.

Height: 12 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a tapered decanter with molded spiral ridges running down the body with notches cut into the tops of the ridges. The stopper is a flattened leaf shape that has been twisted into a spiral with notches cut in the edge. Made possibly make by Stevens and Williams circa 1900.

I am sure that somewhere in my reference library I have seen this described as a Stevens and Williams decanter. Whoever made it, it is a very together design with the notched spiral motif following up the body and onto the stopper.

Height: 11 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is an inverted thistle shaped rib molded spririt jug with script "Whiskey" cut into the upper half of the body. There is a rib molded blown ball stopper. Made by Stevens and Williams circa 1890.

The word Whiskey is not very clear in this photograph and it is difficult to read in real life too. There are versions of this jug on coloured cased glass where the word is cut through coloured glass into clear glass and this is much more successful.

Although this is a lovely jug, I don't think it was a successful design, in that the quite chunky stopper fits tightly into the thin rim of the pouring lip. As this is meant to be for Whiskey that doesn't seem a very robust solution and I expect these were destroyed the people using them by the dozen.

This design is in an old Stevens and Williams trade advertisement from 1986, so I am certain of this attribution. In the advertisment the rib molding is called Venetian flute and the jugs this shape are called 'Thistle' jugs.

Height: 11 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is an cylinder shaped rib molded spirit jug with script "Brandy" cut into the body. There is a mushroom stopper. Made by Stevens and Williams circa 1890.

Stevens and Williams are know for their super high quality intaglio glass cutting from this period, and whilst this is not that, the cutting cursive writing on a curved surface like this still takes a bit of skill. The other little touch of quality in this and the jug above is that the handles are hollow blown and not just a solid piece of glass.

This design is also in the Stevens and Williams 1896 trade advertisement mentioned above.

Height: 8 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a Victorian ewer from the "Bart" range, pattern number 7311. The body of the ewer cut with gothic arches enclosing alternating hobnail and fine hobnail patterns. Made circa.1880s.

Occasionally you get lucky and find something of amazing quality for a bargain price. Clearly if you are pouring your water out of something like this you know that you have arrived. In fact, you wouldn't be pouring your water out of something like this, your servant would be doing it for you.

In case you're wondering a ewer is a kind of jug. I think of them as having a foot and a narrow neck that widens for the pouring lip.

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell. page 302.

Height: 12.5 inches

Width: 5 inches

This is a Victorian guest carafe and tumbler set from the "Bart" range, pattern number 7311. The bodies of the tumber and carafe are cut with gothic arches enclosing alternating hobnail and fine hobnail patterns. Made circa.1880s.

Tumblers that go with carafes are rarish. There are plenty of guest carafes to be had, and the seem to be in every antiques centre you go to, and they are usually quite cheap, getting them with the tumbler is more difficult. Most of these tumblers have roundish bottoms so I expect they fall on the floor quite easily.

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell. page 302.

Height: 8 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a Victorian sherry glass from the "Bart" range, pattern number 7311. The bowl of the glass cut with gothic arches enclosing alternating hobnail and fine hobnail patterns. Made circa.1880s.

This glass is tiny and I couldn't think of what it might be for except sherry. Clearly you are going to need a servant to keep it full.

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell. page 302.

Height: 3.5 inches

Width: 1.25 inches

This is a large fruit bowl, made with pink and green glass that forms a large spiral pattern, from the Rainbow glass range. Made circa.1930s-50s.

This doesn't really fit with my collection, but I couldn't walk by it. On the good news front, my son really likes it, so maybe something won't get sold off when I kick the bucket.

Reference: British Glass Between the Wars, Dudley Leisure Services. page 11.

Height: 12 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a half pint tankard, engraved with a fox hunting scene of huntsman and hounds chasing a fox. Designed by Tom Jones circa.1950s.

Somehow I don't think this would fly today as fox hunting is such a controversial subject. This tankard was kind of in with a lot of glass of the period, as you can find many cheap bits of glass with coloured transfers of fox hunting scenes from the 1950s and 60s. This is clearly the upmarket version of those glasses.

Reference: A Manual on Etching and Engraving Glass, G. M. Heddle. plate 5.

Reference: Glass of the '20s & '30s, Framlie Leibe, page 56

Reference: British Table and Ornamental Glass, L. M. Angus-Butterworth, Fig.107

Height: 5.5 inches

Width: 6 inches

This is a triangular decanter with a solid mushroom stopper. It includes engravings of a fox hunting scene of huntsman and hound, a fly fishing scene, and a shooting scene. Designed by Tom Jones circa.1950s.

Whilst I am aware of other tableware from this service with fox hunting scenes (as per the tankard above), but I haven't seen any with fishing and shooting scenes. I am including three shots of this decanter to show the other scenes.

Reference: A Manual on Etching and Engraving Glass, G. M. Heddle. plate 5.

Reference: Glass of the '20s & '30s, Framlie Leibe, page 56

Reference: British Table and Ornamental Glass, L. M. Angus-Butterworth, Fig.107

Height: 5.25 inches

Width: 9 inches

This is side of the above decanter with the shooting scene.

Reference: A Manual on Etching and Engraving Glass, G. M. Heddle. plate 5.

Reference: Glass of the '20s & '30s, Framlie Leibe, page 56

Reference: British Table and Ornamental Glass, L. M. Angus-Butterworth, Fig.107

Height: 5.25 inches

Width: 9 inches

This is side of the above decanter with the fly fishing scene.

Reference: A Manual on Etching and Engraving Glass, G. M. Heddle. plate 5.

Reference: Glass of the '20s & '30s, Framlie Leibe, page 56

Reference: British Table and Ornamental Glass, L. M. Angus-Butterworth, Fig.107

Height: 5.25 inches

Width: 9 inches