Fenton's April Showers vases
The appearance of the April Showers pattern has been described in a number of eloquent and visually evocative ways:
- "the syrup drips around the edge of a Tate and Lyle can" (Tate and Lyle is very well known in the UK, especially for its "Golden Syrup", a sort of light molasses).
- "the bubbles in carbonated soft drink" (soda) - Bill Edwards.
- "a cascade of drops and ribs on an irregular 'rain on the window in a black and white Joan Crawford movie' manner" - Ray Notley.
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Each conjures up a mental image which, whilst being a useful aid to identification, has the drawback that such descriptions can mean different things to different people. That means we should also look at the physical characteristics of the vase. What to look for A clear physical identifier was described by vase expert Joan Doty: "April Showers vases have nine vertical panels, each ending with a subtle scallop at the bottom of the vase. These nine panels are filled with “streams of raindrops,” actually small hobs". The detailed picture below (of the bottom part of the vase) shows these semi-circular scallops very clearly. They can become less distinct the more the vase has been swung, but they are always present on April Showers. 
Subtle semi-circular scallops around the bottom of the vase
Next, consider the size - not the height, but the base diameter. In height, April Showers vases are generally found from around 5 inches up to a massively swung 13 inches* but there is only one base diameter for April Showers - 3½ inches. * scarce examples are known at 4¼ inches (completely unswung) and 13¾ inches in height. |
April Showers, blue. Courtesy Joan Doty
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Height
Height may not help the identification of April Showers, especially when the vase has been swung and the pattern of small hobs has been stretched out, but such a great variation in height that was achieved by the glassmakers has made April Showers vases a firm favourite with collectors.
Height may not help the identification of April Showers, especially when the vase has been swung and the pattern of small hobs has been stretched out, but such a great variation in height that was achieved by the glassmakers has made April Showers vases a firm favourite with collectors.
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Here are four April Showers vases (courtesy of Seeck Auctions). They show how the hobs lose their definition and change the look of the pattern when the vases were swung. 
Height 5½ inches, green
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Height 10 inches, amethyst
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Height 11 inches, amethyst
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Height 13 inches, blue
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The above pictures also illustrate a couple of other very noteworthy features of April Showers vases. Firstly, many of them (but not all) have a "drapery style" interior pattern called Peacock Tail (like Fenton's regular Peacock Tail pattern). The green vase on the left shows it to good effect, but the pattern can be far less easy to see on highly swung vases. Secondly, the vase third from the left has a tightly crimped top edge which gives it a distinctly different appearance. April Showers vases with this type of top edge treatment seem to be more of a minority when compared to the more usual ruffled top.
Identification and the "Look-alikes"
From time to time, Fenton's April Showers vases seem to cause difficulty in identifying them, and in distinguishing them from other fairly similar vases such as Fenton's Rustic and Northwood's Tree Trunk. Just as with April Showers, the unswung or lightly swung versions of Rustic and Tree Trunk shown the pattern elements very clearly, elements that are harder to see once the vase has been swung. The pictures below of Standard sized vases, courtesy of Seeck Auctions, show the differences.
From time to time, Fenton's April Showers vases seem to cause difficulty in identifying them, and in distinguishing them from other fairly similar vases such as Fenton's Rustic and Northwood's Tree Trunk. Just as with April Showers, the unswung or lightly swung versions of Rustic and Tree Trunk shown the pattern elements very clearly, elements that are harder to see once the vase has been swung. The pictures below of Standard sized vases, courtesy of Seeck Auctions, show the differences.
Rustic 6 inches, marigold
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Rustic 11 inches, green
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Tree Trunk 6 inches, green
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Tree Trunk 10 inches, purple
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This guide on the right should make identification easier! Rustic, Fenton Rustic is made up of rows of clearly defined hobs that are evenly spaced around the vase. Even when it has been swung, the rows of hobs are usually fairly easy to make out. Unlike April Showers (which was only made in one base size), there are three base sizes for Rustic: Standard, 3 to 3¼ inches; Midsize / Midsize Variant, 4 to 4¼ inches; and Funeral, 5 to 5¼ inches. Tree Trunk, Northwood The Tree Trunk pattern has been described as "bark-like" and "tadpoles", and it is perhaps the tadpoles description that highlights the most defining characteristic of this pattern - the small semi-circles or squiggles between the hobs. Tree Trunk was made in four base sizes: Standard, 3⅜ to 3¾ inches; Midsize, 4¾ inches; Midsize Variant, 3¾ inches; and Funeral 5¼ inches. With grateful thanks to Joan Doty for the invaluable information on the base sizes of these vases. |
Originally published in 1989.
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