INTRODUCTION

None of the photos above are of Whitefriars glass!  This is a  blog in which I hope to show some glass which is so often wrongly attributed as Whitefriars when it is not.  Time and time again you will find them on ebay, in  auction houses, Antique shops and Collector’s Centres, independent dealers and at Fairs,  all misattributed!

It drives me absolutely crazy to see new collectors of Whitefriars spend good money on glass which is as far removed from being Whitefriars as it is possible to get.

This is not to say that the items shown here are particularly inferior in any way.  Some of the makers illustrated on this blog have a high profile and are hugely collectable in their own right. 

But not every piece of glass that has a polished pontil, or bubbles, or has a texture or similar shape to some Whitefriars pieces can be attributed to Whitefriars.

I am an active member of the specialist web site  www.whitefriars.com.  I certainly do not know everything about all glass, so this blog, although my idea, has also some valuable contributions from my fellow members by way of photographs and information.

I would like to consider this as a “collective” blog   and I thank all of those forum members and friends who have  contributed to make it a hopefully useful resource.

                         IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING PHOTOGRAPHS

Most photos here are by kind permission of the owners.  Some have been used from the Whitefriars Mistaken Identities section, where people have freely posted them for identification purposes.  If there are any objections to such photos having been used, then please email me, and they can be removed.  This blog is intended as a friendly learning experience and not to gain in any way from publication of the photos.

Emmi Smith

RARE HAEMORRHOID VASES

The above is one of the rarest Whitefriars vases, known as the Haemorrhoid vase and is Pattern number 9829 in the 1974 catalogue.  On the left is one in Lilac and on the right, one in Sage.  Also made in Kingfisher.  Height  is 13 inches. Photo  © www.whitefriars.org

Below, a photo of vases, clearly inspired by the Geoffrey Baxter vases, which were, made by OTK

Japan.  Height 10.25 inches.  They quite regularly appear on ebay as Whitefriars.  Caution! The two photos below of OTK (Japan) vases are                                               ©mid20c

BEAKED VASES

Top Photo: Beaked vase by Kastrup, Denmark,  often mistaken for Whitefriars. Photo   ©  Nic Wilson  - http://www.zeitgeist-i.com/.
Bottom photo:   A   W h i t e f r i a r s   b e a k e d   v a s e   P a t t e r n   n u m b e r   9 5 5 6   i n   A r c t i c   B l u e

CHIMNEY VASES

Chimney vases were made in similar shapes and colours by many glassworks.  Below are two from different Swedish glassworks, and an illustration of the Whitefriars versions.

Ekanas

Bergdala © Robert Leach .........................................>

Whitefriars chimney vases pattern number 9655.  The three sizes are 9.25"/ 7.75"/ 6.5" in the catalogues.

For such a small difference in height the Whitefriars vase is much more substantial in weight, being 843 gms compared to the Ekenas one at 283 gms.

 

 Gullaskruf (Sweden) Chimney vase ©spoonman68(ebayID)

OTHER 'BARK' LOOKALIKES/WANNABEES

Many other glass manufacturers made "bark -ish" lookalikes - again often misdescribed as Whitefriars.  Below is some information where it is available, and photos of other vases as yet unidentified.









Above photo:George Davidson & Co was taken over by Abrahams & Co in 1966. In late 1968 it was named Brama Team Glassworks and the ‘Luna’ range was produced from 1971. Photo and words  © Steve Rayner.

Above a Whitefriars textured bowl for comparison purposes.    Whitefriars bowl Pat. 9687 c. 1972  Aubergine

These two above were new stock a few years ago in the British Heart Foundation Charity shops.  Often to be found on e-bay described as Whitefriars. Also came in different sizes and a few other colours.

Red Ingridglas  ...........................Green possibly Davidson bowl

The two photos immediately above are comparisons between a Davidson on th left and a Whitefriars on the right, profile and base shots.

BARK VASES - RAVENHEAD versus WHITEFRIARS

This boxed Ravenhead "bark" vase must the most commonly misdescribed vase. (photo  © David Fletcher)  It is sold on ebay, by dealers and in auction houses wrongly attributed to Whitefriars. I imagine thousands were made as they just don't stop turning up, and they also come in a bright blue colour - possibly other colours too. They are commonly found in two sizes - 6.5 inches and 8.25 inches approximately.

                                                         Blue Ravenhead vase

Below is a photo of the three Whitefriars catalogues vases - sizes are 6 inches, 7.5 inches and 9 inches.

The following is a photo for comparison purposes . L - R: 7.5 inch Whitefriars, 6.5 inch Ravenhead and a 6 inch Whitefriars.

As you can see, the Whitefriars Bark vases by comparison are far more substantial.



More comparison photos..........

Rim finish is totally different.  The Whitefriars on the right has a rounded and fire polished rim, whilst the Ravenhead has a flat ground rim with a band of crimped
detail at the top.

Above is a photo of the base treatment.  On the left the Ravenhead vase is flat, on the right the Whitefriars vase has a ground out and polished pontil mark.

And finally a photo of the "bark" texture.  On the Ravenhead one the moulding is vertical compared to the Whitefriars distinctive bark design.

BEWARE of falling into the trap of buying a Ravenhead vase which is described as Whitefriars.  They are a very inferior glass quality by comparison and have little resale value.

Finally, a comparison photo of a Ravenhead tumber(on the left) and a Whitefriars tumbler on the right.

 The Ravenhead tumbler is far lighter in weight, thinner and with a rounded rim.  The Whitefriars has the distinctive bark moulding, has a thinner top rim which is ground and polished.

NOT EVEN LOOKALIKES!!!

A selection of bud vases which are all too frequently advertised on ebay and elsewhere as having been made by Whitefriars.  NONE OF THEM ARE WHITEFRIARS.  Jack in the Pulpit vases, mostly BY ASEDA OF SWEDEN - some Czech and Swedish bubble based vases.   I’ll say it again - none of them are Whitefriars, not even vaguely similar to anything in the Whitefriars catalogues. But because of the bubble treatment, sellers automatically think they are Whitefriars. THEY NEVER ARE!!

BLUE? BUBBLES?

Blue?  Bubbles?  Not always Whitefriars.  On the left we have a photo of a beautiful bubbled vase thought to be Swedish (but not confirmed) and on the right, two vases by William Wilson for Whitefriars in Sapphire Blue.

WAVE RIBBED VASES

The Whitefriars Wave ribbed vases are often confused with similar from other makers, but the Wave ribbing is very different on the look-a-likes.

Two examples below which are NOT Whitefriars (possibly Webb) .  You will note that the wave ribs are in a continuous flow around the body of the vase.
 

The  examples below are of Whitefriars vases, where the wave ribs are "drawn up" rather like a curtain at each wave intersection.

Pattern number 8473 Amber (left) and Twilight (right)

                                     Whitefriars rare Emerald Lampbase Pattern Number 8057.

This is a view from the inside of a Whitefriars Wave ribbed vase which shows the six sided "star" shaped ribbing in the base.  This is unique to Whitefriars.