Topic: Large, Footed Millefiori Paperweight

[TxSilver]

I bought this paperweight last week on eBay. It seemed like it would be easy to identify, but it has been a real challenge. The pw is 4 5/8" tall. The canes are set in a multicolor ground with lots of copper aventurine. There are no signature canes. There are two latticino canes wrapped around the pw. When I bought it, I thought maybe it was Whitefriars, but now I am wondering if it might be Richardson. I really have no no idea at all. Any help is much appreciated.

[tropdevin]

Hi Anita

It is a Murano piece - typical Murano canes. The aventurine is a pretty good clue too, as few other sources use aventurine in any quantity.

Alan.

[TxSilver]

Thanks, Alan. I was trying to venture outside the realm of Murano, but looks like I didn't make it. The seller sold it as Murano, so he/she was correct. The cane work seems a bit small and orderly for Fratelli Toso, though the ground is one they use quite a bit. It's a gorgeous paperweight, so maybe we'll be able to put a name on it.

[cfosterk]

A very superior Murano piece. I really like these footed examples.

I've seen a labelled example but cant recollect the manufacturer.

There are a few Murano specialists on here, so you should get an accurate attribution sooner or later....

[TxSilver]

There is another one similar to mine on eBay, but with coggier canes and a different ground (#170462973099). The one on eBay looks a bit more Fratelli Toso-ish to me, but doesn't have a label. I have a feeling they both could be FT.

[glasstrufflehunter]

This is definitely Fratelli Toso -and the nicest one I have ever seen!

Excellent find!

[KevinH]

As a point of interest, although Anita's example may not seem to have canes "as coggy" as the eBay one, there are two canes that I believe match from each item.

The outer cane of Anita's appears in both the outer row and second row (counting out from the centre) of the eBay item. And Anita's 6th row canes (i.e. next to the outer row) match the eBay item's 3rd row canes. Some other canes are identical in structure, just with different colours.

A couple of reasons for one weight looking "more coggy" than the other could be that a) different sized canes are used (even one cane pull may vary in size, especially towards the ends of the pull) and b) the domes may give different magnification. Also, the fact that the centre of the eBay item is a large "coggy" cane can enhance the "cogginess" of the others.

[KevinH]

P.S. What is the date of these footed weights?

[TxSilver]

...A couple of reasons for one weight looking "more coggy" than the other could be that a) different sized canes are used (even one cane pull may vary in size, especially towards the ends of the pull) and b) the domes may give different magnification. Also, the fact that the centre of the eBay item is a large "coggy" cane can enhance the "cogginess" of the others.

There is one other thing that takes away from the coggy look on mine. The small blue row and white row have circular outer walls on the canes, instead of ribbed. The canes in the weight are smaller than the ones I'm used to for FT. The rows in FT concentric weights tend to look crowded (with some exceptions, of course). This is one of the most careful looking weights I've seen from them. It was so trim I was looking toward Britain.