Exhibit Antiques has dated this Bristol Blue Glass Sugar Bowl to the Victorian era.
A large mid 19th century Bristol blue glass sugar bowl dating to c1850.
A particularly attractive example, the deep Bristol blue colour working especially well with the rib moulding, which gives the bowl additional depth and catches the light across its surface.
Historical Context
Sugar had become an increasingly important part of British domestic life by the mid 19th century, particularly with the enormous popularity of tea. Although considerably more affordable and widely available than it had been during the 18th century, sugar was still treated as an important part of the tea table.
Much sugar was still sold in solid loaves or cones and broken into smaller pieces for domestic use, traditionally using sugar nippers. The resulting lumps and pieces were placed in sugar bowls and served alongside tea.
This helps explain why Victorian sugar bowls can be considerably larger than the small bowls we generally associate with serving granulated sugar today. They were intended to hold a useful quantity of irregular pieces of sugar and could form a prominent part of the tea service rather than simply being a small condiment bowl.
The generous proportions of this example therefore reflect both the way sugar was consumed and the importance of the tea table in mid 19th century Britain.
Date & Origin
England, c1850, Perfiod of Queen Victoria.
Condition
Excellent. No chips cracks or restoration.
Dimensions
Height: 11.9 cm
Diameter: 11.1cm
Weight: 232 grams
Exhibit Antiques has dated this Bristol Blue Glass Sugar Bowl to the Victorian era.
Specialists in 18th & 19th century antique glass
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Exhibit Antiques Profile Page
Georgian Bristol Blue Ribbed Glass Sugar Bowl C1850
