confirmation for genuine 'VASART' signature.

[Paul S.]

Not sure what this should be described as - bon bon dish - peanut dish - dish for sweets - large pin tray.   Certainly not what I had expected a 'Vasart' piece to look like.    8 inches/200mm long - in leaf form - with this 'pimpled underside texture.     There is some wear on the three feet - also couple of very small areas on the top side showing abrasion - but nothing serious.    I am thinking the signature is 'dremelled' (i.e. a vibratory needlepoint) - but I could be wrong.     Would appreciate anyone's thoughts please on age and whether the signature is genuine.    thanks for looking.

[Lustrousstone]

I think that's something like Arcoroc. Vasart was hand blown art glass... and paperweights.. and squashed bottles... and advertising glass ware.

[chopin-liszt]

And pale pastel colours (mostly). Definitely a fake mark, simply on the grounds that this is absolutely not Vasart glass.

Several different folk actually made the Vasart mark at the time though they tried to write it in similar ways, mostly. The base of the V tends to be U-shaped, there are little curls on it's ends. It was acid etched, often with the acid being painted on using a thick-ish appliacator. Not all neat and tidy, dremmelled like this!

[Anne]

Ohhhhh interesting. Could you add a copy of this to our Known Fake Marks & Signatures album please Paul?

[Paul S.]

Will do, Anne.

[Paul S.]

Anne - sorry, you know that I'm computer illiterate......is it possible for you to add my picture to the fake signature section?    I did have a look, but couldn't quite see where to start.     If it's not possible for you to do, explain to me a little slowly, and I will try  -  many thanks Paul S. 

[Anne]

I can do Paul, or if you're feeling brave and want to try following my step by step walkthrough I bet you'd manage it yourself: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/glassgallery_help.html - as it's a public album you would just need to register if you've not already done so, then jump to step three - uploading an image. Shout if you get stuck or would just prefer me to do it for you.

[ahremck]

Attached is the base shot of a small dish I believe to be genuine Vasart.  It illustrates very well Chopin-Liszt's point about the thick marking.  I took it under flash using the talc method to highlight the rough glass.

Ross

[chopin-liszt]

Nice example, Ross. 
My only bit is even more smudged, hard to see correctly before trying to photograph it. Being on a yellow background doesn't help.

I'm sure I heard that the acid was "painted on" with a matchstick - but I fail to see how the acid wouldn't burn it to cinders, so I'm kind of dismissing that notion, unless somebody can correct me, and tell me the sort of acid which dissolves glass doesn't burn wood.

[ahremck]

That sounds entirely possible if they used Hydrofluoric acid - a relative of spirits of salts (Hydrochloric acid) - that etches glass.  The only danger would be fumes.  The match is dead wood and very little water remains so it would not necessarily burn.  As opposed to strong sulphuric acid that actually breaks apart the lignin to rip out the "elements of water" and effectively just leaves the carbon.

Ross
(ex Science Teacher)

[chopin-liszt]

I've never used hydrofluoric acid.
I used to make the one which is sulphuric and nitric acids mixed together. (can't remember the name of it now - orange stuff - I want to call it "royal jelly" - think it had some sort of regal name!).
I made it very carefully, in a fume cupboard, wearing the appropriate protective gear.
(sue, ex-pharmacological research worker)

I'm not going to try throwing matchsticks into any concentrated acids just to find out!

[Paul S.]

all I ever remember from the science lab was the edict that was writ in very big letters  -  'Always acid to water - NEVER water to acid'.   I have been preoccupied over the past 48 hours, and maybe for the next 24, so haven't got around to taking Anne up on her instructions of how to place my fake signature on the 'Fakes' section.    I do of course thank those contributors to my post, and appreciate their replies, and when I have sorted the bank holidays finds, fulfilled all my other obligations in life, 'I will return'.
Paul - frustrated ex thicky - sometime hopeful in life - most time still trying to understand the question)  

[ahremck]

Wow, Sue that mixture I have heard is mainly used to dissolve gold - are you an alchemist in training?

Ross

[chopin-liszt]

 

Obviously not. I got the recipe wrong! It was aqua regia, Nitric and Hydrochloric acids, not Nitric and Sulphuric.

Used for ultra-clean cleaning of glassware used in analysis of minute traces of drugs which required spectrophotofluorimetry.
My remit is biochemistry - keep the physical stuff away from me - I don't get it at all.

[ahremck]

No Sue I got it wrong         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_regia
tells me we are talking about the same substance.  It can both dissolve gold & platinum and is used to clean glasswear.

Ross