Topic: Probably Italian

[Lustrousstone]

I now seem to have a small paperweight collection. Can anybody help with identifying these two please?

The first I describe as three mushrooms growing from a multi-coloured bubbly base.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/lustrousstone/PDR_0020.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/lustrousstone/PDR_0018.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/lustrousstone/PDR_0017.jpg

The second is lovely, as each flower has the most beautiful irridescence spraying out from it and it's signed. There are three flowers, one red, one black and one green with bubble centres, growing from a sort of white mist

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/lustrousstone/pwview1.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/lustrousstone/PDR_0014.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/lustrousstone/PDR_0015.jpg

[KevinH]

1st one ... don't know, could be from many places.

2nd one ... At first glance I thought it was a regular Indian "trumpet-flower" weight, but the flowers seem to be "cameo etched" rather than internal. And that looks like a Mtarfe signature to me. Interesting.

[Lustrousstone]

What do you mean by cameo etched? They are inside the glass and in the same layer as the irridescence.

[KevinH]

Ah! Maybe it's my eyes.

But the photo of the base view seemed to show clear "edges" that give the impression of the coloured bits being on the outside. Just an optical illusion, then?

Presumably the coloured parts come very close to the surface?

[Lustrousstone]

Optical illusion. Yes some of the coloured parts are quite close to the surface, but there is definitely a clear casing layer over an irridescent layer. You can see it quite clearly at the top if you hold it right. The flower petals are practically just smears of glass, which gives a lovely translucence. I'll borrow the OH's camera at the weekend -his macro is better than mine!!

[David555]

Hi

I have a paperweight similar to your mushroom paperweight.

(http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7333/colinramsay0wv.th.jpg)

It is by Colin Ramsay a Scottish paperweight maker - I see your weight has no etched mark to the base; he did not always mark his weights (the little I know about him). Again the closeness of flowers/mushrooms to surface is an optical illusion as is any sparkling - the bubbles as with yours are intentional.

Of course he was not the only artist making weights of this type, without a mark we can only speculate. My second guess would be a good Italian maker, my third Mdina


Your second weight is Mtarfa I think, base mark done with a quick hand - I have some like this and it fits in well with their style of weights.

Thanks Adam P

[Lustrousstone]

Thank you David. Not easy to find anything about Colin Ramsey though, will keep digging.

[Lustrousstone]

Can a Mod change the error messages to links please, as they actually go to the right places. I'm sure Photobucket changed its system

Mod: photos now via links as requested

[alexander]

Fiorst one probably Japanese, marketed as "Original Lutetian Glass".

[Frank]

Thank you David. Not easy to find anything about Colin Ramsey though, will keep digging.

There is also a Charles V Ramsey that also made weights as well as glassware, active from the 1970s until a couple of years ago.

Has anyone got any confirmation on 'Colin' ?