Topic: Malta Spotted glass urn shape vase.

[johnwebb]

Hello, Does anyone know the identity of this piece? I bought it in Malta around 20 years ago. It seems to be made from three layers of glass melded together, clear, white, red. The top two layers have been scrape off to make the 'spots'. Around 7 inches high.
Thank you!

[chopin-liszt]

I suspect this might be a piece of Malta Decorative Glass.
An unusual find if it is, I don't think we've seen one of these before, but the style is perfectly in keeping with some of their output.

[johnwebb]

Thank you very much for the information. Any more thoughts would be welcome and any idea of value if that's appropriate.

[chopin-liszt]

We do not give valuations here I'm afraid, they're far too contentious in the secondary market. The best way to find a ball-park figure is to find a similar item in the sold section of auctions.

There are folk here who have a particular interest in Malta Decorative Glass, they might be able to confirm my suspicions and tell you more.  Hang on until they find this thread and comment.

[johnwebb]

Thank you again for your help. I understand exactly about valuations and wasn't sure if it was an appropriate request. Looking forward to hearing if anyone else has further information.

Cheers!

[chopin-liszt]

I can tell you you will not be retiring on the proceeds.
MDG is not really well-known generally, but there is a lot of discussion about it in the section on Maltese Glass and plenty of images to see.

The reason I knew it is MDG is that I know of this piece, and that I know none of the other Maltese glassmakers did anything similar at all.

http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=2089

[WhatHo!]

Hi, sorry to be a spoiler but if purchased about 20 years ago there no way this can be MDG, 40 years maybe, even then MDG didn't do any overlay as far as know :/

[chopin-liszt]

We don't know from where it was purchased, it could have been second hand at the time or just very old stock.
The colours are the same as the conch shell, which is also layered.

If not MDG, do you have any idea which Maltese company it could have been?
Are you familiar with the label at all?
I don't seem to manage to gain familiarity with labels. The differences between one and the next are often minimal and I don't find them interesting.

[WhatHo!]

I have never seen the likes of it before, I have never know any Maltese companies to do overlay. I have asked my friend Raymond who worked at MDG, Mdina, Pheonician and Valletta glass and he has never seen anything like it before either. I'm kinda wondering if this got to Malta, maybe from Murano or Czech and someone has popped a label on it? I'm quite puzzled by this one!

[chopin-liszt]

Do you think the conch got its label from elsewhere too then?
It's definitely layered, just not cut afterwards.