Topic: Small vase with pontil mark. Help with ID please.

[Paul S.]

Seems then Sue that highly probably that it's only the p/ws that have this AB mark mentioned by Christine, and not any of the vases etc.

[chopin-liszt]

If you have a look at the vase Greg posted today it is a much thicker piece and does have something which might be the mark.
All I was saying was that the stuff that is very finely blown, with a pattern very much like Ronnie's which to my knowledge (which is based on what I have seen in the secondary market over the years) is earler AB output, doesn't seem to have initials marked onto the bottom; the way the glass was finished off wouldn't have supported it in the first place.

[Paul S.]

Must admit that some of those blunted recessed scars might almost be interpreted as letters, but I don't see Greg's pontil area being anything other than an irregular scar.

Maybe my education of AB is lacking, but don't remember seeing any finely blown pieces from that factory - if anyone has such a piece I'd be interested in seeing it.

I had occasion to speak to Colin Green once or twice in recent years, and it's true that some of AB's creations are quite surprising in terms of colour/design - not at all what you'd expect to see from that factory.
Attached is a rather nice jip iridescent lump, with a very untypical pontil area (not the usual depression).

[chopin-liszt]

My one and only piece is in greens and browns on a white background, much like Ronnie's piece.
It is a JIP, the centre part of the base is very highly indented, quite like lampwork. But it's packed away in one of the crates in the attic, I don't even know which one, I can't get at it.
I've had it since approximately 1999.

(ooops, there's the boxed "pink sugar" mouse, I'd forgotten about it already, but it doesn't really count as proper glass to me.)

[chriscooper]

Only ever seen the paperweights with the ABG stamp on the base?

[chriscooper]

An early thick 'clunky' piece.

[chriscooper]

Quite fine JIP vase with similar pontil mark

[chriscooper]

A big heavy piece again the pontil mark is quite different

[chopin-liszt]

Wow, thanks for all those different and varied images, Chris. Have you been collecting Alum Bay?

[Greg.]

Alum Bay kindly gave me some further info on their impressed ‘ABG' mark. I thought this particular thread would be a good place to add it.

After checking with some of their glass blowers, they confirmed that they generally only tend to stamp their paperweights. The main reason being that the weights are more substantial compared to the bases on their vases.  The thinner bases on the vases tend not stand up to being flamed and then impressed with the ‘ABG’ mark.

I gather occasionally, their stem/footed bowls do also have the impressed mark, again due to the fact that these items have a solid foot on the base.

Subsequently, Alum Bay glass stickers are used on any other item that has not been stamped.

I’m sure as with many small studios there is always the odd exception to the above. My grateful thanks to Alum Bay Glass for providing clarification.