Collectors Facts - Teardrop, Esberard and Guarani*, Brazil
Underside of flat cake plate
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Covered comport (or sugar) and presentoir
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Shapes:
Comport or Sugar, open
Comport or Sugar, covered
Presentoir (under-plate)
Covered Butter
Salver, low
Cake plate
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Colours:
Marigold
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All the pictures shown here are thanks to and courtesy of Carnival collector and researcher, Claudio Deveikis, who has studied this fascinating pattern. Thanks also due to Álvaro Henrique Nicolau Aguiar for research on this unusual pattern.
The only Carnival colour reported so far is marigold, although it is known in a non-iridised light aqua blue, and in clear glass.
All shapes except the under-plate are footed. The covered comport is known with both a short pedestal foot and a tall stemmed foot. The pattern is on the inside of the lid, but is on the outside of the other shapes.
Claudio reports that it is possible the Teardrop pieces were produced by two different makers (*) in Brazil; initially by Esberard in Rio and then later in the 1950s and 1960s by Guarani (the same maker that who most likely made the “Eye of the Queen”). The different production appears to be distinguished by a deeper, almost “burnt” orange iridescence on what is felt to be the later items. These darker pieces also have a different marie, with the star pattern taking up much more of the base.
Claudio tells us that the pattern is known by different names according to the region of Brazil it is in: “in Minas Gerais it is named as "lagrima" (meaning “tear”) while in Rio de Janeiro it is called "gota" (meaning “drop”). Hence the name given to it here by Claudio … Teardrop. The covered comport is also known as “Dona Antônia” in Brazil.
The only Carnival colour reported so far is marigold, although it is known in a non-iridised light aqua blue, and in clear glass.
All shapes except the under-plate are footed. The covered comport is known with both a short pedestal foot and a tall stemmed foot. The pattern is on the inside of the lid, but is on the outside of the other shapes.
Claudio reports that it is possible the Teardrop pieces were produced by two different makers (*) in Brazil; initially by Esberard in Rio and then later in the 1950s and 1960s by Guarani (the same maker that who most likely made the “Eye of the Queen”). The different production appears to be distinguished by a deeper, almost “burnt” orange iridescence on what is felt to be the later items. These darker pieces also have a different marie, with the star pattern taking up much more of the base.
Claudio tells us that the pattern is known by different names according to the region of Brazil it is in: “in Minas Gerais it is named as "lagrima" (meaning “tear”) while in Rio de Janeiro it is called "gota" (meaning “drop”). Hence the name given to it here by Claudio … Teardrop. The covered comport is also known as “Dona Antônia” in Brazil.
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Grateful thanks to Claudio Deveikis for these super pictures. Right: the two different colours and the different bases of the comport or sugar. On the left is the one believed to be from Esberard, and the one on the right is believed to be the later Guarani version (note the darker, burnt-looking iridescence) Below left: low footed salver, lid of the comport, presentoir (under-plate) and comport. In the foreground is the low, flat cake plate. All the pieces are shown upside down so that the pattern is seen clearly. Below right: a covered comport or sugar alongside a Classic Northwood Grape and Cable covered sweetmeat for comparison. |
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The Inspiration We now know that there was a design “link” between Esberard of Brazil and George Davidson of Gateshead-on-Tyne, England (see Rain Forest Collectors Facts), and maybe Davidson also influenced the Teardrop design. There is also another very similar design in the 1910 mould design book for Kutzscher of Germany, and we have previously made the connection between Esberard and Kutzscher (see Renaissance Collectors Facts). These links and connections are intriguing! |
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