Topic: Murano paperweight with very colourful canes - AVeM?

[rocco]

One more

I am quite sure this is a Murano weight, with very colourful canes on a coloured-chip ground.
Diameter 6 cm, height 5 cm, flat polished base.

What makes me think AVeM are some of the canes with multicolour dots in the center -- the same (or at least very similar ones) are found in some AVeM Tutti Frutti pieces: see attached pic of my (smashed) vase...

edit: very similar canes also in Rose's weight (attributed to AVeM) here: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,37684.0.html

So a likely attribution, or were these canes used by several other makers as well?

Thanks!
Michael

[rocco]

The vase...

[tropdevin]

***

HI.  My feeling is that these canes with the dots in are 1950 or earlier.  There is a black and white picture of a Murano paperweight with a frit ground and broadly similar canes to some in your paperweight in a 1939 book 'American Glass Paperweights' by Francis Edgar Smith.  The  book itself has more errors than accuracies, but the images are useful!  As for which factory made them....can't help. I am sorry to say.

Alan

[SophieB]

Hi,

I have seen these canes attributed to AVEM many times before, but never with solid evidence to back the claim. So I do not know really.

A pity as I have a nice little Murano crown with those canes and would love an attribution, too.

SophieB

[rocco]

Thank you very much, Alan, Sophie!

Midcentury production seems very likely, then...

Wouldn't the fact that the same canes are found in many AVeM "Tutti Frutti" pieces, be a strong hint towards AVeM as maker?
Here is a vase with the "red cross centre surrounded by 4 dots cane": http://antiquehelper.rfcsystems.com/Full/210/68210_view2_02.jpg
Here a vase with the "5 multicolour dots in orange circle cane": http://antiquehelper.rfcsystems.com/Full/059/68059_view2_02.jpg

Michael

[KevinH]

From the the link that Michael provided in the original post, I have updated Rose's earlier thread from 2010 to state "AVEM (probable maker)" in the title. I will do the same for this thread, and also add a link to here from Rose's thread.

I agree that the evidence we now have, form this and earlier threads, and from research by board member Anita, gives a strong suggestion that certain types of cane are an indicator of AVEM production - even though lots of sales items state "Fratelli Toso" as the maker. The problem we still have, however, with Murano millefiori is a lack of company-provided proof of specific cane colours and types.

On the point of cane colours, I personally have a dislike of what I have called 'the "sickly" shade of orange and yellows' - see the thread for a "mushroom type" item that has the same sort of canes as in the weight in this current thread. Perhaps those colours that I dislike may be an "AVEM marker" - or is that too much of a generalisation for what may be a "generic Mediterranean" colour palette used by many Murano companies?

[rocco]

Thank you very much, Kevin!

I just love strong colours, particularly orange -- so this weight is perfect for me
(I guess I am not the subtle kind)

And agreed -- there is no proof that these particular canes are exclusive to AVeM.
Though (you may correct me here) they seem not to be found in confirmed Fratelli Toso pieces?

Michael

[SophieB]

Hi,

Michael - Thanks for this possible attribution. I am with you on the matter of strong colours.

Kevin - How can you not like those strong AVEM colours considering you collect Paul Ysart?!! 

I like these strong colours. Have a look at my (probable) AVEM crown!!!

SophieB

[rocco]

Thanks for posting, Sophie -- lovely piece!
(I saw a similar one recently on the fleamarket, unfortunately every seller there seems to believe that any paperweight is antique and thus worth a 3-digit sum...)

Michael

[KevinH]

Kevin - How can you not like those strong AVEM colours considering you collect Paul Ysart?!!

Well, Paul Ysart, when he did use "strong" colours kept them well balanced within each weight. But overall his colour palette was much more muted than those "in my face" Murano ones!!