Topic: Small organic shaped teal-blue with silver leaf bowl, signed...?

[rocco]

Can anyone help in ID of this organic shaped bowl?

Teal blue glass with silver and slightly copper-coulered(?) decoration, 12.5 cm wide, 8 cm high.
Flat and polished base with signature I cannot make out -- "Misad"

No wear to the base, so could be quite recent...

Thanks!
Michael

[flying free]

Misao rather than Misad? Maybe Misao Kataoka?
m

[rocco]

Thanks a lot, m!
Misao makes more sense...

Not much found on google: glass artist, born 1966

http://www.yanagi.com/events/en/art-festa.shtml
http://www.jgaa.net/about/members/jyun.html

Not exactly the same style, but my bowl does look like studio-glass, and so Japan is quite probable.
But would an artist sign with the first name? (which "Misao" is I guess)

Michael

[chopin-liszt]

I know the Chinese always put the surname first.
The bowl looks a lot like some more recent Mdina.... I reckon it's a style that's catching on.....

[rocco]

Thanks, Sue!
When I picked it up I thought maybe (recent) IOW because of the colour and the silver foil, but the base and signature were totally wrong...
It is very nicely made.

edit: just did a quick search for IOW glass azurene, and most pieces seem to have a flat base. The use of the metallic foil seems very similar.

Michael

[chopin-liszt]

Far, far, far too thick and lumpy for IoW - and not a shape you'll find them doing either.

Mdina have done some bits with gold foil, Michael Harris perfected a technique for incorporating silver foil onto the hot glass - far more difficult than gold which is inert - silver has a habit of reacting often quite spectacularly, with the glass if it gets too hot!

Now I've studied your piece close up, it looks as if it's been "first foiled", then straps of clear glass woven over the surface and marvered in before reblowing.

If there is silver foil on the surface, it can tarnish a bit - I think this might be why you describe it as copper-coloured - it just needs a wee polish!

[kane_u_pain]

Why not email her?

misao-art-work@jcom.home.ne.jp

[rocco]

Thanks Sue for taking a closer look!
I think you got the technical issue perfectly right -- the golden-copper coloured areas have the foil on the surface, whereas the others have the foil covered with a very thin layer of glass, forming a sort of wavy pattern (best seen in my first pic).

What surprises me is that it is far too thick and lumpy for IoW -- the bowl looks rather delicate to me. (The shape seems totally wrong, I agree).
I had always thought IoW glass was a little bit like Mdina, which I love (wish I could find some better pieces here in Austria), but is far from thin and delicate.
Neither was the only IoW piece I ever held in my hand.
Learnt something new again...

Thanks Kane, I will try to e-mail her!

Michael

[chopin-liszt]

How finely blown IoWSG is may depend a bit on it's age - as well as the design of the piece, but in general, it is far more finely blown than Mdina - which this piece is more akin to - but I honestly don't think this piece has anything to do with any Harris-connected maker.

[rocco]

Thanks, Sue!

I didn't mean that this bowl had anything to do with Michael Harris or IoW; just was surprised that I had estimated the quality of IoW glass totally wrong. (That happens when you know glass just from pictures, instead of handling it).
The only IoW piece I ever held in my hand was a very nice small Azurene globe vase with flame pontil mark, which did look similar in quality to Mdina...

Michael