How would we get this valued?

[AdamD]

A fox's glacier mints polar bear statuette

I'm not 100% sure of the story behind this item, but my dad was given it many, many years ago, we suspect it's about 50 years old at least.

Apparently when the Foxs mints company was founded, the directors at the time, were each given one of these statues.

There's no markings at all on it (which doesn't help, heh), but it was taken to an antiques road show about 20 years ago and my dad was told it looked like a Lalique piece, but they apparently always sign their work, so I'm not even sure where, or who to ask.

Any thoughts?

[martyh]

Tyneside Glassware Series

The introduction of Carnival glass between 1926 to 1930 helped their fortunes as did the appointment of a new designer. Herr Schottner created the Tyneside Glassware Series, and was responsible for the sitting nude lady flower block and bowl which was used by Cadburys for their chocolates. They also produced the polar bear (after buying Joblings' mould) for Fox's glacier mints.

I don't know if this will help in your research

http://www.pressedintime.com/sowerby.htm

[AdamD]

Hmm, that might be it, that would explain the lack of marking on the bear, heh

Thanks very much.

[martyh]

here you go Adam
this is a valuation from 2 years back i found

http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/mcte...01-24%2fpage_8

[AdamD]

Heh wow, how the heck did you find that?

Thanks again, that's a great help, although I wish I knew why ours doesn't have any markings, heh

[martyh]

Originally Posted by AdamD

Heh wow, how the heck did you find that?

Thanks again, that's a great help, although I wish I knew why ours doesn't have any markings, heh

That would go back to the first link i gave you ,Sowerby Glass bought the mould from joblings so they would have to remove the joblings name after production and obviously didn't think it worth engraving their own ,so i would say your's is from Sowerby glass as opposed to joblings,The date of yours could be from the 1950's ,does that sound about right ?

---------- Post added at 21:18 ---------- Previous post was at 21:17 ----------

incidentally the bears official name is Peppy

[AdamD]

LOL Peppy.

Yea I believe that's correct, I'll ask my dad again, I believe it was from the 1940's to 1950's.

Interesting though, I found another Joblings Opalique creature, both that and the one you linked, have a shiny/glossy type glass texture, this one doesn't have that, it's frosted.

[DaiNasty]

Another Jobling's here @ £400

http://www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk/Pr...t?LotID=152540

[AdamD]

Nice, it's the same model alright, but I wonder if the one I have is frosted because it was made for the fox's mints company? hmm

[martyh]

Originally Posted by DaiNasty

Another Jobling's here @ £400

http://www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk/Pr...t?LotID=152540

It would be fantastic if Adam had the Joblings name on it ,unfortunately he said it hasn't which is a shame

[AdamD]

Wondering if it was specially made for Fox's, so the name wasn't added, no idea, heh.

[martyh]

Originally Posted by AdamD

Nice, it's the same model alright, but I wonder if the one I have is frosted because it was made for the fox's mints company? hmm

I'm more inclined to think that it is the difference in the manufacture as everything i have read so far suggests they were all made for foxes as advertising pieces ,made first by joblings in sunderland then sowerby glass in gateshead

*The original bear trademark was designed by Clarence Reginald Dalby in the early part of the the 1900's ,he was responsible for Thomas the tank engine illustrations as well *

*I'm bored waiting for the wife to get in from work

[AdamD]

LOL, quite possibly, yea.

[AdamD]

Had a really nice lady from pressedintime.com reply to my email about the bear, she gave me this information.

Hi Adam

Good news! I can help you, your Dad’s polar bear was made by Jobling in their Opalique colour. They are also available in clear, black, green, brown and blue. The design was registered on 23.1.1935 with the registration number 10730 (this might be on the bottom of the base, on the other hand, it could be that this was one of the early designs and not registered)

I have attached a copy of the advert in their 1937 supplement which shows both the bear and the bookend bear.

As an aside, Jobling did take a lot of inspiration from Lalique and even approached them asking if they could make their UK orders in their factories (probably to get their hands on the exact recipe for the glass!)

They are quite rare, especially in perfect condition (make sure the ears and corners are intact), however the market for pressed glass is quite depressed, so I wouldn’t advise selling it at the moment.

[martyh]

Originally Posted by AdamD

Had a really nice lady from pressedintime.com reply to my email about the bear, she gave me this information.

That's good news then ,so i take it that the fact that it has no markings could mean it's one of the earlier ones