Topic: Lump'o'glass or "Medina"?? please read on... ID = Mdina

[carolglass]

Recently purchased this stoppered jar/vase. A whopping 2.46kg, jar is 32cm base diameter of 8cm. Stopper is 11cm, with a diameter of 8cm. As you can see random trailings of pale blue/aqua edged  with dark yellow and mottled yellow background with heaps of random bubbles. Mouth of jar is tooled with some grinding to accommodate the stopper, base is slightly depressed and flat polished. Stopper is thick walled and hollow with a ground end showing the double casing . O.K. was sold as Medina but whoever made this I love it anyway. Was originally bought at a Dunbar Sloane auction also described as Medina before the seller disposed of it on Trade Me. Any thoughts on a possible maker from the more knowledgable?? Maybe there is a secret Medina factory out there-ha ha. Many thanks in advance  Carol

[Lustrousstone]

It could be Mdina (note the spelling) and possibly part of what is known as the Rosenthal range. I'm sure someone will be along later to say yay or nay, but you might just have struck lucky, because, if I am right, these are uncommon.

[carolglass]

Thanks Christine, I  am aware of Mdina BUT decided to go with the original description. Hopefully someone will clarify my "lump" for me. regards carol

[suzygpr]

I agree with Christine - Rosenthal range, Mdina. Very nice.  I'll see if I can track down some images for you.

Perhaps the stopper has lost a bit off the end, the ones I've seen are enclosed at the tip.  I'm sure Sue will add more detail.

Suzy x

[suzygpr]

Forgot to add - although the pics doesn't show one, do check for a signature. Michael Harris signed the Rosenthals, not sure if the lack of one means a later piece or that only some were signed  Must check in Mark Hill's book as Rosenthal isn't a favourite of mine so don't retain the info well

Suzy x.

[Lustrousstone]

Medina, Modina, Madina and even Molina are common typos, even at auction houses, for Mdina. Medina is in Saudi Arabia and has no glass industry to my knowledge.

[chopin-liszt]

 :clap:
Wonderful piece - Rosenthal is right. They weren't all signed - I have two of these, bought a very long time ago, they are quite scarce, neither of mine are signed. I call these "sweetie jars" - they're nearly the size of the bottles in old-fashioned sweetie shops!
Mine are actually different heights to each other, and the stoppers are not interchangable, which is a shame as I'd like to swap them around - the patterns would match better!

The round polished pontil mark is indicative of the period when both Michael Harris and the Boffos were working there, quite apart from the fact that I do not belive these enormous beast were made after Michael Harris left.

I have seen a couple of these enormous beasts in the Ming pattern too.

"Medina" means "old town". In many cities with Moorish heritage, the old part of the town/city is known as "the Medina".

So the answer is Yes, it's a wonderful early ('67 - '71) piece of Mdina, Michael Harris design, quite possibly made by him. I also would think it might be a little after '67, as it was late '67 when Mdina was set up, getting around to something like this may not have happened immediately!

[Andy]

Absolutely 100% Mdina   Nice early colours c 1970.
Nice one
Andy

[carolglass]

Yahoo!! Many, many thanks for all the input- it is a little battered about, that halo on the stopper being the biggest fault- I have  had a check and no signature and next to no wear on the base. Lolly jar sounds good to me! regards Carol

[glassobsessed]

There is a River Medina too, on the Isle of Wight. It flows northwards and runs into the estuary that lies between Newport and Cowes. According to Wikipedia "The name Medina came from the Anglo Saxon Meðune = "the middle one", but the Medina in Arabia may have influenced its modern spelling."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Medina



Nice glass too.

John