Topic: ID help with classical style vase please

[bfg]

Hi all, belated happy new year 

I've been mulling this one over for a while - whilst browsing my Manley 'Decorative Victorian Glass' I noticed a similar vase on pg 54, pic 11 atributed to Richardson and described as alabaster

I only say similar - mine has a hand painted classical silhouette and bands of greek keys and waves in similar positions on the vase.

Mine however is Matte on the exterior and shiny inside and it has had a rough life with a lot of wear to the painting particularly to the rim & foot but Manley also comments on the unusual heaviness of the piece and that was one of my first comments when I lifted it. It 'feels' old if you know what I mean.

Height is 12 inches and foot is 4 inches across. weighs 30 oz (850g)

Am I way off and wishfully thinking? any comments welcome as usual

lots of pics so prob in two hits, cheers
Mel

[bfg]

more pics..............

[keith]

Hello Mel,Happy New Year,very nice vase,I always thought these were Richardsons but there has been some debate recently as to similar vases from Bohemia,I'm still unsure of mine

[bfg]

Hi Keith, yes I read the thread(s) with interest back end of last year and still didn't twig, perhaps because the ones shown are colour and not b/w!

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,48475.msg273260.html#msg273260

love your vase too  btw

I suppose the trouble is research is always ongoing and my copy of Manley is 30 years old!

cheers, Mel

[bfg]

Further reading shows that Richardson's pieces of this type were left matte on the outside to allow for easier handpainting - but again from the same 30yr old source so Im not convinced yet

but despite not being able to firmly attribute this to either Richardson or a Bohemian company would anyone disagree to dating it at mid 19th century?

cheers
Mel

[flying free]

hi Mel
lovely vase - I like it a lot.  The black only on white looks very  classy.
Is it possible to get a close up of the white glass against light please? , what is the internal texture of the glass itself?  is it slightly translucent white glass or thick opaque white glass?
It would really help a lot if your photos enlarged so the pics can be seen clearly 
If you search ebay there are a pair of Richardson's vitrified glass vases for sale - the seller Chrisbuckman has done some really excellent shots of the glass to compare.
I wouldn't use Manley on it's own as a source of identification because it was written so long ago and more information has come to light since then.  Best to use it in conjunction with other info as it becomes available I think?  Do you have CH's British Glass the one for the 1900's?

Link to signed Richardsons vitrified pair of vases here - gorgeous, if I could afford them.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-Victorian-Antique-Richardsons-Vitrified-Glass-Enamel-Spill-Vases-c-1860-/310397119888?pt=UK_Art_Glass&hash=item48451c2d90
m

[bfg]

thanks m, I'm growing fonder of it by the day 

to answer your questions: no only got CH's 20th century one and will have to wait a while as just ordered the walsh walsh one to check out a poss pompeian vase (another story lol)

added some more pics - they usually blow up ok don't know what I did there   

I would describe the inside shiny texture as pyrex-like, very shiny no bubbles, with only a very faint orange glow in direct strong light see last pic

love Chris's vitrified pair mine seems quite clumpy in decoration compared to the delicate almost line drawings on the spill vases

with a lot of wishful thinking I could almost convince myself the black line in the ground pontil mark is the last remnant of a R/sons stamp, like Chris's, almost, lol 
cheers, Mel

[flying free]

thanks you need to reduce your pics to about 600 x 400 and then they do blow up to a size which is possible to see the details usually.  A close up of the lady would be lovely.
It looks opaline to me.  Different to the vitrified glass effect.  If yours is English I think it possibly dates to around 1850.  If Bohemian then maybe a bit later.  I'll check CH's book in  mo and come back to you - kids at home today, 3" snow and we're snowed in and all schools closed 
Opaline is a discussion for another day lol, I'm currently gathering references and sources on the definition of it.
m

[bfg]

thanks for offering to check in your book m, much appreciated. Just started snowing here about an hr ago dont know if it will come to anything. keep warm 

[flying free]

well, it's a minuscule thing, but I thought quite exciting 
on page 138 of CH British Glass 1800-1914 in a plate 103 which is a copy of 'pages from the Art-Union magazine, June 1847, showing Etruscan glasses (my words here...by 'glasses' they mean glass and in fact the pictures are of vases and jugs plus one bowl and one goblet) decorated by Mr Giller using Webb blanks.', all the pieces have the same curly 'wave' type swirls on them as your vase does!

Still checking for finer details to see if I can spot any more matches. And of course, many decorators could have done the swirls, but none the less they look the same as yours - someone care to double check for me please?
m