Topic: Red green Apple tree paperweight- Antique? Bohemian? Dump shape 4 layer fountain

[flying free]

Oh, I'm sorry Alan I wasn't disputing your comments - I hope my reply didn't come across that way.

I was just adding a reference in case people thought I was making up my tenuous thoughts 

I know what you mean about the colours also being seen in Chinese weights.   
I will keep looking.  Thank you again.
m

[tropdevin]

***

Hi m.

I hadn't assumed you were disagreeing - but anyway, I don't mind people arguing with me or challenging my comments about uncertain attributions: it is a good and healthy way to test and refine - or reject - ideas.

Alan

[flying free]

oh my goodness, I'm so excited, I think I've found my tree (please disappoint me gently  )
Sibylle Jargstorf book called Paperweights -  page 21
'Paperweight.Germany, 19th century (Private Collection, Germany).  The speckles are arranged in six (!) super imposed layers which is an extraordinary achievement.  The highly developed artistic sense of the maker is documented by the limited choice of colours, dominantly moss-green spatters, just enhanved by a few contrasting bits.'
I'm pretty sure it's the same maker.
m

[flying free]

following my discovery above
I should say
I'm pretty sure it's the same place/era/type weight, I can see there are differences in the way it is made, mine looks less tidy, but the tree shape and the way it is done in the 4 layers and the frit is the same I think.
m

[KevinH]

I agree with Alan on a very likely Chinese origin for m's weight.

The one in Jargstorf is worked with five well formed horizontal layers set over a solid ground composed of the same translucent green with other coloured frit as seen in the the layers. The 'five plus ground' are what Jargstorf called six layers. Through the centre of all layers is a stem of an air bubble which draws each layer downwards at its centre (maybe formed with a single thrust of a metal tool or perhaps separate inserts into various layers). At the top of the pattern is a large air bubble formed when the final gather of glass was added over the tooling work.

m's weight does not have the single air bubble insertion. It's layers are individually tooled several times with a varied result looking like multiple "harlequin" layers but not properly joined above each other. And the layers, probably as a result of the way they have been "pierced" end up looking more like a pagoda roof shape than a standard European "bubble and frit" item.

Yes, there are similarities with the translucency of the main colour and the other coloured chips, but for me, that's where the similarity ends. I think it is a credible Chinese attempt at a multi-layered harlequin-type design but it fails in the detail of execution.

[flying free]

  darn it
oh well, I will definitely know what I'm looking for next time then.
m

[flying free]

Just an update.  I took this paperweight out  the cupboard last week and the glass was flaking off in smallish flakes/chunks.  So bad composition glass?

I've binned it.

m