Gorbutt-Bowman
Gorbutt-Bowman Sugar Bowls -- Side-by-Side Comparison
I managed to pick up a few pieces of GB on ebay recently (some of which arrived broken -- arrgh!), including two sugar bowls. I couldn't help but notice that the shapes are slightly different (smaller finger holes and the peak of the handles are at slightly different heights). This brings into question, for me at least, the method by which these were formed.
PS -- this stuff is rare enough that I can't bring myself to dispose of the piece that arrived in shards, opting to glue it back together instead. Is super glue the adhesive of choice in matters such as these?
GB Variations in shape/color
Hi!
Those same variations on shape and glaze are also found on cups and teapots with the Russel Wright lines...
I always wondered about them, as well.
Fran E.
Variations
I'm definitely no expert in pottery production but will offer some thoughts about the variations in these sugar bowls. I think it's safe to say that most of these Gorbutt-Bowman shapes were created using molds. That involves pouring slip (liquid clay mixture) into the mold where it partially hardens before being removed for firing. I think some variation in the shape of pieces from the same mold can occur depending on the amount of slip used, differences in technique of the people filling the molds, etc. It's also possible that several molds were created for each shape and there could be slight differences between molds. Some variations could occur during the firing process also. If this isn't accurate, I hope others will weigh in on this topic.
Ergonomics
On the right sugar bowl, the finger hole is bigger and you can see where the thumb rest is raised higher and bigger. This difference cannot be explained by manufacturing variances. I think the design of the handle was deliberately tweaked to make it easier to hold.