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Author Topic: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture  (Read 7166 times)

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Offline Andy

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #20 on: May 30, 2007, 12:14:21 PM »
Hi Barbara,
im so sorry to hear the problems youve had with this piece, I started the thread with the Blue ones,
they are both signed Mdina, to the base, definitely genuine, and i have seen a similar colour to your
one before on ebay, the engraving is strange, certainly not a signature, but as Pip said earlier, maybe
a reasonable and possibly interesting explanation for it, maybe a retailer added it? or someone had some
engraved for a gift? Who knows?  
They are nice pieces, my feeling is that they are quite early Mdina, maybe Michaels time in Malta,
although i think Mark Hills opinion was early 80s. It would be nice to pin it down.
I hope Mark pops in , maybe he could throw light on the engraving.
Anyway, best of luck, and dont let those >:D s get you down.
Andy :)
"Born to lose, Live to win." Ian (Lemmy) Kilmister Motorhead (1945-????)

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Offline BJB

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #21 on: May 30, 2007, 05:02:25 PM »
Hi All,

Thankyou very very much for all your support, you have got no idea what it has meant, I have never had such a dreadful time as yesterday all in a space of three hours. I had no idea that people could be so cruel and judgemental.

I did think about taking the listing off but that smacks a bit of letting them win, so I will let it run, and give it a long rest over the summer as I don't think it will sell.

Adam I did think it had been engraved as I have other pieces, wedding presents and the like, that have the same type of lettering and feel whan you run your fingers over them.

Sue, I never once mentioned IOW or anything in the listing and after this I don't think they will want to hear from me about the other one do you?

Just as a foot note I have had this email from the IOW Studio Glass people about the writing, make of it what you will!!

"Hi
Sorry I meant that it may of been done by Michael Harris but no guarantees. As I said the actual paperweight is a bit of an unknown."

So why then all the fuss and real upset on my part?


And once again, thakyou all so very much  :-*

Barbara



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Offline MarkHill

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #22 on: May 31, 2007, 09:44:23 AM »
Hi All,
Good HEAVENS! What an awful experience it sounds like you have had Barbara. I'm so sorry to hear that people can be so cruel and rude - especially over something like this. After all, children will not die! As everyone says, ignore them. Life's too short and if they want to go through it being miserable, wound up and vindictive, then poor them.
In my opinion, the weight is Mdina. As Sue says, I too have seen them authentically signed Mdina. I think it dates from after Michael was there, so post 1972. I do not know if he produced the design himself, but would think not. As I think I said in my last post on the wheel shaped weights, I reckon they're primarily 1980s, late 1970s at the earliest. I've also seen them with strong blue 'flowers'. However. I would always defer to Elizabeth and Tim at the studio if they feel differently.
As regards the signature, I have never seen this type before - skillful as it is. As far as I am aware, Mdina did not offer numbered limited editions during the 70s, 80s or 90s -- most particularly when Michael was there. Due to the way it is engraved, the style, and the fact that it is a numbered limited edition, I do not think the signature is original. Michael was a highly skilled and experienced diamond point (and other) engraver. All Mdina items I have seen that were signed by him with his name have been executed with a diamond point or similar. This includes the very, very few items I have seen with personal dedications, as gifts to friends. As I believe this pieces dates from after he left, I also don't understand why it would bear his name as Mr Said tends to suppress Michael's early input. I'm not trying to be rude, but just look at the company history on their website for an example. Later (post 1972) pieces, if signed with a name, tend to have swirling signatures that (as far as we know) are either Mr Said or Eric Dobson, Michael's business partner who ran Mdina for some years after Michael left and before Mr Said took over. So, in short, my opinion is that this is a 1970s-80s unmarked Mdina paperweight with a signature (skillfully) added by a third party at a later date in order to try and raise the value of the item. This is based on my experience and the thoughts above, but I could be wrong, and one thing I have learnt in this business is never to say never!
As regards the second piece, I think Sue is right, of course. I personally think this is the very early Isle of Wight Studio Glass 'Iridaceae' paperweight, that had a 3D trailed 'Iris' on it. It was produced in 1983 only, and can be seen as a line drawing on p141 of my book. It should be around 8.5cm in diameter. Of course, I will again defer to the studio, who I am hoping will would confirm my thoughts!!
I hope all of this helps.
I am in the midst of a move so won't have access to the internet to answer any questions my thoughts might raise until Sunday night at the earliest.
All the best,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com
Text and images © Mark Hill
www.markhillpublishing.com

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Offline BJB

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #23 on: May 31, 2007, 05:27:24 PM »
Hi Mark,

Many thanks for your kind words and for looking up the information about the weight for me.

It certainly has open my eyes about how fanatical some collectors are, and how no one is ever given the benefit of the doubt.

The writing has been said to may/maynot have been executed by Michael Harris by the IOW glass studio folk.

Thankyou for helping me ID the other weight, no problems with that one with the label, as I am not too sure they would like to hear from me at the moment.

I hope that the move goes a lot more smoothly than the one ( and only as far as I am concerned) time we moved.

Barbara

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Offline aa

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #24 on: May 31, 2007, 05:59:18 PM »
I have been wondering where the other three are, assuming there were four of these. And why four?  :-\ Where did this one come from Barbara?
Hello & Welcome to the Board! Sometimes my replies are short & succinct, other times lengthy. Apologies in advance if they are not to your satisfaction; my main concern is to be accurate for posterity & to share my limited knowledge
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Offline BJB

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #25 on: May 31, 2007, 06:25:14 PM »
Hi Adam,

It came from a stall where the sellers said they were slimming down their IOW and Mdina collection,the other paperweight came from them too.

They thought that it was maybe a proto type of 4 different weights, same shape but different middles, that Michael Harris had designed, then put his name to hence the engraved writing on the back and there would be three others with the same sort of markings on, but 2/4 etc.

I know at a fair most people can spin a good yarn, but I did think the weight looked OK, and the writing is in my mind and their words engraved ( not sand blasted as others have suggested but I am no expert) rather than a signature, which could deceive, made me kind of believe them.


Thats all I can add to it.

I didn't put any of that in the original listing as I couldn't prove it, and I also never mentioned IOW at all. I just put "Signed, Michael Harris" , which I now know was not the right thing to put, as he may have written it but not signed it.

Barbara





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Offline aa

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #26 on: May 31, 2007, 07:53:16 PM »
That's very interesting. I can't help thinking that there has to be a plausible explanation because the quality of the engraving seems unusually good against the average faked signature. Perhaps someone bought four for some kind of presentation and had them engraved? That's only one of a number of possible scenarios. The thing is editions of four are uncommon. Wouldn't a forger be more likely to put 1 of 50 for example? Btw meant to say how sorry I was to learn of the unpleasant reactions you had been getting.
Hello & Welcome to the Board! Sometimes my replies are short & succinct, other times lengthy. Apologies in advance if they are not to your satisfaction; my main concern is to be accurate for posterity & to share my limited knowledge
For information on exhibitions & events and to see images of my new work join my Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/adamaaronsonglass
Introduction to Glassblowing course:a great way to spend an afternoon http://www.zestgallery.com/glass.

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Offline BJB

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #27 on: May 31, 2007, 08:25:48 PM »
Hi Adam,

That may be so, but why put Michael Harris's name on it rather than the person who gave it, and why Malta? Especially as it thought that Michael Harris had left before these were made. Its very confusing.


I think it may be one of those things that will never be gotton to the bottom of.

Barbara

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Offline RAY

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #28 on: June 01, 2007, 11:47:08 PM »
here's my mdina and it's signed, i use it as a door stop

click image




cheers Ray

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Offline Cathy B

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Re: Michael Harris 1 of 4 Signed Sculpture
« Reply #29 on: June 02, 2007, 01:12:24 AM »
Perhaps someone identified it, slightly wrongly, and then engraved it so that they wouldn't forget?

Oh, hang on, it's obvious. 1/4 is day/month. Someone had it engraved as an April Fool's Day joke just to confuse people. :D

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