Murano 101: Murano Labels!!!

[svazzo]

... Around the edge it mentions; 'SAN MARCO : MURANO : Made in Italy. Does anyone know the maker?

Hi DenCill,
I dont know, havent seen the label before either. Looks like a current manufacturers label.
Javier

[paradisetrader]

I do have another piece with a label but the label is so badly worn that it would not photograph well.

Silver Triangle (pointing up)
with a drawing of a stylized gondola bow covering most of it
and in between the words:
"Italy" centre
"Glass" up left hand side
"Murano" - across the bottom

Its on a sculptural modernist sommerso basket very similar in color and style to a piece shown on the left of page 223 of Pina's Italian Glass, marked as Frattelli Toso.

[Anne E.B.]

More labels:

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

The first is a uranium green vase 8½" (21.5cm) tall. Strictly speaking I don't think this is Murano, but 'Venetian'. The label (badly ripped) merely states 'Venetian Art [Glass?]' and is situated on the neck. It also has one of the small circular 'Made in Italy' labels on the base. The central portion of this label has a tiny logo that looks like a 'G' with an 'H' in the centre, so either 'G.H' or 'H.G' is the maker?

David, I have a peacock vase made by the Swedish glass company Elme, which has a label with G.H as described by you.  I have always believed this to be the U.K. Importer's label, i.e. George Hardy. (check out my label to see if its the same as yours).  I have had other pieces in the past with the same GH logo on, and these have included pieces by Aseda Glasbruk.  I have also seen the same label on Raymor glass too.  

I've just got back from Falmouth, and really missed the GMB, so if I'm proved wrong about George Hardy, then blame it on too much sand, sea and ... :lol:
Regards Anne E.B.
http://tinypic.com/9qzius.jpg

[David E]

David, I have a peacock vase made by the Swedish glass company Elme, which has a label with G.H as described by you.

Hi Anne,

Thanks, this is starting to get clearer. The label is identical apart from the wording. Javier reckoned it was a Cenedese vase, so I assume Hardy imported a variety of glass and just used appropriate labels!

[Anne E.B.]

Hi David.  Just checked "Glass Notes" on Great Glass website which states that G.H. were active in 1950s, importing Scandinavian and Murano glassware.  
Regards - Anne E.B. :lol:

[David E]

Thanks again, Anne - I took a peek myself and it does state 'blue/silver' labels, whereas mine is red/gold. Could be that different colours were used for different countries?

Also nice to date it to around the 1950s.

[Anne E.B.]

I only have two pieces with their labels still attached:-

The first is a geometric vase - "Christallo - Vetreria - G . Campanella & C."
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/falmouthglass012.jpg  
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/muranolabels009.jpg

The second, a bowl I am led to believe by Flavio Poli.  The gold label is very worn, but the shape is quite distinctive.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/bestpiece002.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/glassie/bag001.jpg

[Anonymous]

Anne, your green bowl is definitely not Flavio Poli nor Seguso.  I am not even sure if it is Italian, as I've seen both Bohemian and Canadian (Chalet) pieces with this kind of free form shape.

Poli's sommerso work always features very clean lines and simple shapes. I've never seen anything like this from him.

Laura

[Anne E.B.]

Thanks Laura .  Its back to the drawing board on that one :roll:   Fortunately it wasn't described as such when I bought it, otherwise I would have been well and truly had!  However, it is still a fantastic piece of glass and I luuurrrve it.   I have seen the exact one described as being by Poli on the net in the past and grasped at the connection.  Mustn't believe everything I read :oops:
Regards - Anne E.B.

[Anonymous]

Hi Anne,

It is still a lovely piece of glass, so don't feel bad. It is quite possible that it is from the same period, although I suspect it to be a tad later than the 1950s.  Have you seen the website dedicated to Chalet glass?  It is worth a look. Also, try searching for bohemian glass on ebay, as you will see similar types of items.

Best,

Laura

[chuggy]

Sorry to go back on this trend, but on the L Nason label shown earlier and subsequent comments, I've always understood that Lino Nason was not a person, but was used for pieces made in a collaboration between Ermanno Nason and the graphic artist Lino Perone from La Spezia in the late 1970's early 1980's.
Paul

[David E]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for this new information and there's not a problem going back; I'm just interested in a correct attribution!

The style of these dishes could be anytime from 1960 to 2000s and what you've provided is most useful. It would also explain why we couldn't find an L. Nason that fitted the profile!  

I know Ermanno Nason was most famous for his animal sculptures in the 1960s, so it's interesting to learn of this collaboration.

[lenore]

Hi,
We found this label on the web and it was given an attribution of Fratelli Toso??? Can anyone confirm that and if it is the period of time it was used?
Javier, you might find this interesting as I saw an angel candleholder with the solid flat base similar to that on your site except this one had the most darling bright red lips! Anyway, just a tiny piece of the label was left. And, it had this blue line and dot border edge. I wasn't aware that Fratelli Toso did any figurines. Wish I had a pic of the one we saw but it isn't ours... at least not yet!
Lenore

Picture gone!

[svazzo]

Hello Lenore,
I am not sure how I feel about taking photos from other members, maybe on Ebay or somewhere else, and posting them here on the boards to find out info about them.... not to be mean or anything, but just something to think about.
On Fratelli Toso, yes he did figures like every other Italian designer, in one form or another. I really do not think Toso ever used that label.
Javier

[David555]

Ref - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v405/glass47/sticker.jpg - if it helps this label is an import label - the importer is 'G Hardy & Co' who imported Aseda (Sweden), Kosta, etc as well as Murano glass - here is a bit of Aseda on eBay with same label only 'Swedish Art Glass' http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7345553969&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT if you do a bit of homework you can find who Hardy imported for and narrow it down