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Author Topic: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight  (Read 2446 times)

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Offline yesvil

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Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« on: October 08, 2012, 11:03:29 AM »
Sorry I have no pictures but I saw this in a shop the other day. The blue is a solid colour with hardly any light penetrating through it.

It is upright and faceted on each side with an engraving to each face - am I right in thinking cobalt blue is a rare Mdina colour?

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Offline chopin-liszt

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2012, 01:02:59 PM »
Engraving on a faceted weight would suggest a late piece; the desirable cobalt blue is from the Harris period, there was only one pot of this colour ever melted.
However, if you're slightly mistaken about what it is, and it looks anything like this, grab it as fast as you possibly can!
Cheers, Sue M. (she/her)

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

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Offline yesvil

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2012, 02:54:07 PM »
Thank you.

I pretty sure it's not that but I bought it anyway:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skillkraft/8067084342/

Is there any dating information I can learn from the paper label?

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Offline chopin-liszt

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2012, 08:22:44 AM »
I'm afraid there isn't much can be learned from the label - other than it's not a plastic one; those were introduced in the '90s.
From the later '70s onwards, the blue used could be deeper than the teal/turquoisey shade used earlier - what Mark Hill describes as being more "jewell-like", and when this shade is used thickly, can be mistaken for the early coblalt, which is what I suspect this weight is - given all the features of the piece itself; the shape isn't an early one, the engraving suggests later too.

I can't make out what is engraved on it - is there any chance you could dust a little talcum powder over it to define the engraved lines and photograph it again?
It looks to be as if it's an image of one of those "transformer" toys, or a robot!  ;D
Cheers, Sue M. (she/her)

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

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Offline Nemmie

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2012, 08:41:19 AM »
I think its a stylised bird possibly an Eagle.

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Offline ahremck

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2012, 05:43:39 AM »
Dare I ask is it a "Maltese Falcon"?

Ross
I bamle all snileplg eorrrs on the Cpomuter Kyes.  They confuse my fingers !!!

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Offline yesvil

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2012, 03:02:34 PM »
A maltease Falcon is what I presumed.  After some delay here are the close up pics, I have also included a picture of the signature as it looks a little more flowery than other I have seen.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108068496065107092945/20121011?authuser=0&feat=directlink

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Offline chopin-liszt

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2012, 03:41:47 PM »
It's certainly a later script for the mark, I do think it's a fairly deep jewell-like blue, it's not the early cobalt.
Sadly, the etching/engraving is definitely not by Michael Harris, the piece is too late and it's absolutely not his work.

But I would think it's a commission, I don't know much about medals etc, but I'm sure there is an important one for Gallantry...

just googled, found your cross on wiki    ;D

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Naval_Jack_of_Malta.svg&page=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Roundel_of_Malta.svg&page=1
Cheers, Sue M. (she/her)

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

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Offline yesvil

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2012, 07:11:50 PM »
Many thanks for your help Sue. I would like to understand the variations in script a bit more is there any reference material on the web?

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Offline chopin-liszt

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Re: Cobalt blue Mdina paperweight
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2012, 09:11:11 AM »
No.
Years ago, I did have a go at it with my collection which is mostly early or from the mid-later '70s, with only a few of the later bits up to the early '90s, and only a couple of examples from the '90s.
I found several variations of scripts which could be described as basically being the same - and could only conclude that as marking things depended on there being equipment and a member of staff having the time to do it, there must have been a sort of general idea of how the script should look and several different folk tried to keep the marks looking similar.
Obviously, the exceptions are when the marks were made by Michael Harris, or Eric Dobson, their writing is very distinctive, and no "ideal" script was being adhered to.

I got to about 27 different scripts before giving up and deciding it was a useless and futile task.

There is a basic big early loopy style in a thin line, then there is the very broad lettering made with some tool which vibrates at right-angles to the direction of the line being made, later it progresses to the one which looks as if it reads Molina and the loopier but legible one you have there....
Cheers, Sue M. (she/her)

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

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