Topic: alexandrite neodymium glass vase with gilt figure on horse

[azelismia]

I got this vase recently and I am not sure who made it. I am thinking moser as it looks to be me to be from the 30's 40's and is in color change glass and looks bohemian, but of course, there may be other factors I am overlooking? Opinions? it seems very high quality. the ribbing is cut as are the cut out's on the foot of the base. the base has been cut polished to absolute flatness. the other odd quality that it displays is that under a blacklight it turns the most astonishing shade of red. the figure is a nude woman on a horse with stylised clouds and stars all around the vase.

http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg172/thefiresidecat/mar15/

[Mike M]

Hi

Nude on horseback -is not a Moser image I've seen before -is it metal surface or colour enamel? (if it's metal finish then its not 1930s Moser)

Blank isn't familar either but Moser whas much more divers here so  possibly still could be.

I don't think it's Moser at all, but you might need to consider the possibility of 'Moser' blank but decorated by another 'house' -quite usual

hope this helps

Mike

[azelismia]

it's a gold leaf type decoration with a white enamel decoration around the base. I could buy moser blank decorated by another glass house. If you think it's likely not to be moser can you think of any other companies who did alexandrite in that time period? I am pretty sure it's not american. My other alexandrite piece is sevres, it isn't the exact same color as that piece. there is so little information out there about this type of glass it's kind of hard to pin down the usual suspects.

[Ivo]

I would have guessed American based on style, colour and decoration. And never say never - but it looks quite unlikely to be by Moser.

[azelismia]

We'll as I stated in my first post. I was far from absolutely convinced it was Moser but I am pretty convinced it's not American. the decoration is very far from typical American decoration. I've never seen a piece from America with the white enamel type scroll and the nude on a horse is pretty far from the typical american prudism of the time. I also haven't seen notches cut out of american glass the way they've been cut out here. Especially from the companies who were making this type of glass at the time. as you say, never say never, but I am pretty sure it's European. 

also the color isn't really true in this pics. it's very hard to capture.

Here's another pic showing the detail a little better but the color still isn't true.

[Lustrousstone]

This might sound daft but I have a cigarette box with an intaglio design on the lid and the lady and the horse on it might be twins to your lady and horse. I've never found who made it but assume it is Czechoslovakian. It's in blue uranium glass and not great quality. I suppose the question is, is she some kind of legendary or mythical Czech (or elsewhere) figure, discounting our Lady Godiva?

I will post a picture tomorrow.

[azelismia]

doesn't sound daft at all. with the stylised clouds and stars behind her I was figuring she must be some sort of goddess type of figure. I wasn't sure WHO... but it's got the look of something that's meant to represent a mythical figure. Lady godiva was who was put out there from who I bought it from, but I've always seen her represented with long flowing hair. this woman has more roman hair. it looks like she's supposed to be holding something in her upraised hand, but I am not sure what. it's not there now. if not I have no idea what she's doing with that hand.

[Lustrousstone]

Well here she is; no clouds or stars, nor outstretched arm, but then there isn't room for that.

[paradisetrader]

As the inventors of neodymium glass (company name Alexandrit) it's tempting to attribute all pre-war neo production to them but having discounted that option then Riedel would seem to be a good fit, for both pieces. They were a large manufacturer with several factories known to supply blanks to finishing shops and had an excellent reputation for colour experimentation.

The design and style of Christine's piece looks like it could come from the stables of Hoffman or Schlevogt, both of whom had their items made at Desna near Gablonz (Jablonec) which was the location of the main Reidel factory. As inventors of green and yellow-green uranium glass it's no stretch to think that Riedel could have come up with a blue uranium colour, but of course needs researching.

The pale colour of the vase would tend to support dating as pre-war and towards the earlier 1920's when the price of the raw "rare earth" element was at it's highest. As far as I understand it the fashion for Neodymium glass faded quite quickly going into the late 20's and 30's and was revived only much later (c 1970's).

[azelismia]

interesting theory. I could buy Reidel, they also finished their pieces with the flat base as this is finished. I think it's probably the best theory so far.  I thought Harrach was the glass house who invented uranium glass though?