Featured Antique Anglo-Irish Cut Glass Sweetmeat - why the monk?

Discussion in 'Pottery, Glass, and Porcelain' started by ValerieK, Mar 2, 2021.

  1. ValerieK

    ValerieK Well-Known Member

    I'm hoping someone can help me with this item, a bit of a puzzle. It is a beautiful but perhaps not very useful covered sweetmeat or comport dish. I know that it is Anglo-Irish in style, and an expert told me it is not the original Georgian but a Victorian revival or the style, altjhough that covers two thirds of a century! It is about 12" tall including the lid, and has a wonderful sparkle in the light, although the glass is very thick and heavy. I would be pleaased to pin down the date a bit more closely, but my main query is about the etching on one facet of the cover. It took me a long time to notice it, but it has what looks like a monk (or possibly saint) etched into one of the surfaces, very difficult to photograph. The figure is an elderly, bearded man in long robes, possibly with a large cross and a staff. Could this dish have been engraved to order, for perhaps a Catholic parish office, or a monastery? A religious setting seems odd for such an indulgent piece of glass, but I wouldn't know! The fifth photo shows the monk more clearly when held to the light of my halogen heater, the grill pattern is showing through. Any ideas?
    sweetmeat - 1 (6).jpg sweetmeat - 1 (1).jpg sweetmeat - 1 (4).jpg sweetmeat - 1 (2).jpg sweetmeat - 1 (3).jpg
     
  2. ValerieK

    ValerieK Well-Known Member

    Oops, I meant the fourth photo shows the monk!
     
    KikoBlueEyes and judy like this.
  3. Bookahtoo

    Bookahtoo Moderator Moderator

  4. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

  5. Bookahtoo

    Bookahtoo Moderator Moderator

    I found all the saints who have a staff as their symbol, and are sometimes depicted as older men with beards. Then paired them with a cut glass dish.
     
    komokwa, johnnycb09, patd8643 and 2 others like this.
  6. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

    Super sleuth. Thanks for sharing your process. I'm always looking for ways to improve my search. This is very helpful!
     
    komokwa likes this.
  7. ValerieK

    ValerieK Well-Known Member

    Amazing, thanks very much! Your search found exactly my sweetmeat bowl, complete with etching. You have achieved more in two hours than I have in many months. The photos on the ebay listing are better than mine of the etching, I couldn't see the bell, and didn't think of looking up the iconography. One reason I missed this listing is that I was looking for Anglo Irish (which I am sure it is), not Bohemian, Sweetmeat not compote, and I hadn't identified St Antlhony. Wonderful work, I should think more outside the box! So it seems my sweetmeat isn't a special order, and more than one was made with St Anthony etched on it. I still don't know why St Anthony is on a sweetmeat dish, but maybe I will find out if I keep looking.
     
    KikoBlueEyes likes this.
  8. Bookahtoo

    Bookahtoo Moderator Moderator

    You're welcome.
    Yes, I didn't even think about the association St. Anthony might have with sweetmeats, or if it was made, as you suggest, as part of a set marketed to clergy.
     
    KikoBlueEyes likes this.
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