Collectors Facts - Modern Koala bowl marked "summerland.1"
Pictures generously supplied by, and courtesy of, Lee Delany.
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Two contemporary designs came on the collector market in 2007 - this Koala bowl and another that featured a Platypus.
The Koala is the central feature on this bowl, surrounded by a design of Australian flora - wattle sprigs with bow and butterfly, waratah and a flannel flower. Collectors will recognise this floral design as being a direct copy of the same design that is found on the Classic Crown Crystal Kookaburra bowl. The exterior pattern is another copy of a Crown Crystal design - Fern and Wattle, which is found on a number of their pieces. On the base of the bowls is the word "summerland.1". Colours reported so far are blue, purple and white. We understand 500 of each colour in both Koala and Platypus patterns were made (that is 3000 items in total). They were made in China for Colourful Dragon Imports in Australia. |
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Our opinion ... but with a major caveat
This contemporary Koala is not a reproduction (as there is no original item to reproduce). Neither is it a fake in that, being clearly marked "summerland.1", it is not pretending to be Classic Carnival. However, there is an element of deception about them in the way they have copied the interior and exterior floral designs from Crown Crystal.
And the major caveat? Finding a Classic Carnival Koala bowl is the "holy grail" for collectors! One has never been found ... and it is not known to exist.
There is a Registered Design for it in Australia in December 1924. The Applicant was Crystal Glass Limited in 1924. In 1926, the company became Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd, and in fact the entry in the Register had the hand written note "Entry in Register Cancelled", signed and dated by Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. in September 1927. So ... as far as we know, the design was not put into production by Crown Crystal.
(Source of Trade Mark information:"Carnival Glass of Australia" by Australian Carnival Enthusiasts Association Inc, 1988)
This contemporary Koala is not a reproduction (as there is no original item to reproduce). Neither is it a fake in that, being clearly marked "summerland.1", it is not pretending to be Classic Carnival. However, there is an element of deception about them in the way they have copied the interior and exterior floral designs from Crown Crystal.
And the major caveat? Finding a Classic Carnival Koala bowl is the "holy grail" for collectors! One has never been found ... and it is not known to exist.
There is a Registered Design for it in Australia in December 1924. The Applicant was Crystal Glass Limited in 1924. In 1926, the company became Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd, and in fact the entry in the Register had the hand written note "Entry in Register Cancelled", signed and dated by Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. in September 1927. So ... as far as we know, the design was not put into production by Crown Crystal.
(Source of Trade Mark information:"Carnival Glass of Australia" by Australian Carnival Enthusiasts Association Inc, 1988)
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