Topic: VB OPALINE FLORENCE MADE IN ITALY

[eggar]

i'm trying to identify an opaline cased glass vase with the label ..VB OPALINE  FLORENCE  MADE IN ITALY any help most welcome...thanks  eric

[Ivo]

I Vetrai di Borgonovo, I would think

[eggar]

thanks Ivo, now to see if i can find out anything about them..eric

[Wayne]

I know this thread is a bit ancient now, but it seemed the best place to post an update, as it's the top result for "Opaline Florence":

A while ago, I emailed the Vetreria Di Borgonovo website, sent them a link to my website showing lots of "V.B. Opaline Florence" items, and asked if they made them.  It seems they didn't, this was their response:

"This is hand made and most probably it has been manufactured somewhere in Empoli area.
Empoli is a province in Tuscany - Italy
Regards and good luck

Vetreria di Borgonovo SpA"

(The company is based in Borgonovo, not Empoli, although it's not a million miles away).

Since then, I've recently come across a couple of items with labels which read "Veritable Opaline Florence", so I'm assuming the V.B. is just short for "Veritable"?  See pics below.

It looks like Veritable Opaline Florence is just the style or range of glass, so the jury is still out on who made these.  My best guess would be Stelvia, who made similar glass and have similar labels.  Would love to know what others think, or if any new info has since been found?

(http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/images/items/glass_labels/glasslabels_murano16.jpg) (http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/images/items/glass_labels/glasslabels_murano50.jpg) (http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/images/items/glass_labels/glasslabels_murano26.jpg)

[Ivo]

I think we've been over this before.  Empoli was the home of some two dozen glass makers which have merged and changed names, merged and changed names, and again and again ad inf.
Most companies moved out of Empoli to elsewhere in the region - notably to Poggibonsi and to Colle Val d'Elsa - and the chance of finding individual companies is pretty slim. Most were short lived between mergers.
Labels may be specifically made for importers and for retailers - hence the use of French.
Bravo if you manage to unravel this knotto gordiano.

[MuranoArtGlassChandeliers]

HI

You are right Wayne.  Opaline is just the name of the range as I have a hand painted Amethyst baluster vase from Florence with the lable "OPALINA FIORENTIA"

Dean

[Ivo]

 :huh2:

Not much fun trying to confuse labels in italian, french and english. You should know that Véritable is french for real, Florence is in english or french what Firenze is in italian. Empoli is in the Firenze province.
Opalina is - only in Italy - colour cased milk glass, while Opaline is (everywhere else) a solid semi translucent colour - so if you are selling "véritable opaline de Florence" in France, you're  not selling opaline but cased milk glass. There's confusion for you.

[Wayne]

They don't make it easy for us do they?  I know the wording on the labels isn't very helpful in identifying a maker, as similar wording is used on Italian, French, and even Japanese glass, probably because it was what the importers + retailers wanted at the time, like you say Ivo.

The main reason for posting, is that up to now, we've thought that the VB were probably the initials of the manufacturer, but looking at how similar the first two labels are, it must at least be possible that the VB was short for Veritable?  I know there's no concrete evidence, and probably never will be, but there are a lot of these vases around, maybe somebody somewhere has one with a proper manufacturers label.  Hopefully they will see this thread and help us out!  :X:

[Ivo]

Which would raise the question veritable what? in french it makes no sense @ all. VB has to be the name of a retailer, an importer or a manufacturer. As Borgonovo has left the building, it is probably one of the many others who have existed.

[Wayne]

OK, going back to the drawing board, and looking for more clues, I came across this Empoli jar, with a label in the exact same shape and style as the first two labels I posted, but it reads "Hand, AV, Made in Italy":

http://www.flickr.com/photos/art-of-glass/5244367791/in/photostream/

There is also a vase on ebay at the moment with the same label:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MULTI-COLOR-MID-CENTURY-MODERN-MURANO-ITALY-VASE-LABEL-/380303997782

Ivo, I don't suppose there is an Empoli company with the initials VB, that later changed its name to have the initials AV, or vice versa?