No-one likes general adverts, and ours hadn't been updated for ages, so we're having a clear-out and a change round to make the new ones useful to you. These new adverts bring in a small amount to help pay for the board and keep it free for you to use, so please do use them whenever you can, Let our links help you find great books on glass or a new piece for your collection. Thank you for supporting the Board.

Author Topic: date and origin request for opaque weight  (Read 1878 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Paul S.

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 9938
  • Gender: Male
date and origin request for opaque weight
« on: November 18, 2011, 05:33:18 PM »
described by the boot sale seller as 'end of day glass' with 'substantial age' - and whilst this looks and sounds plausible, I'd appreciate some second opinions if possible.   Most of the weights I come across in charity shops etc. are see though, with coloured bits inside  -  I have a small collection, but nothing of real interest - and certainly none of mine has a snapped pontil remaining on the base.    Probably not Chinese ;)  -  but would appreciate people's thoughts about possible country of origin and date.     The ground colour is not opaque, completely - when held up to a strong light it shows as a fairly deep purplish brown, and the line running through the top area is in fact a very shallow curving groove.      Approximate dimensions are......height 73mm  -  diameter 94mm.    thanks for looking :)
P.S.    Be interested to know how these things are made please  -  is the shape formed by a mould, or perhaps spun on the iron to produce the roundness

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline chopin-liszt

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 14462
    • Scotland, Europe.
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2011, 07:28:48 PM »
 :hi:
Can't help with id, Paul, but pwts are shaped by hand - with a wad of wet newspaper.
The glass gather is on a rod, (hence the pontil scar) being turned continuously back and forth on the bar at the side of the chair by one of the maker's hands while s/he applies gentle pressure with the wad of wet paper, cupped in their other hand. There is a bucket of water nearby so the paper can be kept wet.
Cheers, Sue M. (she/her)

‘For every problem there is a solution: neat, plausible and wrong’. H.L.Mencken

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


Offline Paul S.

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 9938
  • Gender: Male
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2011, 10:17:05 PM »
thank you Sue  -  the moment you mentioned it, the wet newspaper bit rang a bell with me  -  I must have read that somewhere in the past (but not in a newspaper ;)).    They do get the surface very beautifully curved and smooth  -  not perhaps what you might at first think would happen.        I suspect this is not the sort of weight that people are now interested in - probably too old fashioned I guess  -  but as you know, I do rather like these older pieces.    thanks again :)

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline stew2u2

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 587
  • Gender: Male
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2011, 10:46:26 PM »
hi paul
if you ever get a chance to make your own pw do it. son paid  for my birthday at caithness kings lynne realy enjoyed it. and i now have a priceless weight well its priceless to me.
there is always someone worse off .

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


Offline daveweight

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 376
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2011, 12:09:18 PM »
I was up north on holiday ion September and called into the National Glass Centre in Sunderland and they have a hot glass studio where you can make your own paperweight, I know they are doing refurbishments sometime next year so if anyone is intereted phone them first to see of the glassworks is open and check the prices but it is a great experience
Dave

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline Paul S.

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 9938
  • Gender: Male
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2011, 02:25:24 PM »
thanks for the DIY suggestions :)  -  but as far as glass goes I must confess to being a collector pure and simple, and probably wouldn't truly appreciate the merits of being an artisan.   However, it's great that there are facilities out there for budding glass blowers and I do see the value of making things so thank people for their comments.

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


Offline Frank

  • Author
  • Members
  • ***
  • Posts: 9508
  • Gender: Male
    • Glass history
    • Europe
    • Gateway
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2011, 10:57:19 PM »
Making one weight will not make you an artisan, that takes 7 years, but it would give you a really deep understanding of what you collect.

Support the Glass Message Board by finding a book via book-seek.com


Offline Lustrousstone

  • Members
  • **
  • Posts: 13623
  • Gender: Female
    • Warrington, UK
    • My Gallery
Re: date and origin request for opaque weight
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2011, 07:09:02 AM »
Slight  :hj: If anyone has the chance they should go and watch the glassblowing demonstration at World of Glass St Helens; not because what they make is wonderful (it isn't), but because they manage to cram so many techniques into one demo.

Support the Glass Message Board by finding glass through glass-seek.com


 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk
Visit the Glass Encyclopedia
link to glass encyclopedia
Visit the Online Glass Museum
link to glass museum


This website is provided by Angela Bowey, PO Box 113, Paihia 0247, New Zealand