Topic: Earthtones at Mdina and MDG; Discussion.

[Patrick]

Mdina earthtones has recently been discussed on a facebook group.
A bowl was shown and this comment was made by Raymond Sultana who worked with Vicente Boffo at MDG and then went to Mdina. I have his permission to quote his comment........
" In fact I used to make those bowls myself at Mdina Glass. What actually happened was that when Vincente joined MDG, he introduced the "Earth Colour" range and after MDG closed down, Mr Dobson took on his books most of the ex MDG workers. At that point in time he doubled the work force at Mdina Glass and with this package he also got the rights to produce the "Earth Colour" range. I am sharing this missing information to the Group to sort out some of the loose ends. "

I have attached images of MDG Earth Colour and also his version that he made at Mdina. He joined Mdina November 1978.

Cheers,

   Patrick.

[Patrick]

It should be noted that the Mdina Ming range was being made at Mdina while Vicente was working there ........ so he must have developed it into the 'Earth Colour' when he joined MDG.

Cheers,

Patrick.

[WhatHo!]

Excellent info Patrick, I like the idea that the Earth colour was made at MDG first even if it was a variation on Ming

[chopin-liszt]

Interesting.
So Michael Harris must have invented this colourway, but in a sprial formation, for Tortioseshell at IoWSG, independently of his work at Mdina, and much earlier.

Does anybody know when the bullet bowls stopped being made?
I had thought they were all early, at least only up until about the mid-70s, not as late as '78, but I'm happy to be corrected.
I'm asking, because I have an Earthtones Bullet bowl, with an unsual sideways zig-zag pattern, surely taken from the Zig-zags used as surface decoration
I'm not convinced.

[glassobsessed]

Earthtones is often found on some of the mid 1970s shapes, as is Ming and Tortoiseshell, much like this:

https://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mUW6zwvUHwWnqS6xGc4Trxw.jpg

Stopper is a replacement on this one: http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mzy4FBbexYTq9ydarMEL3FQ.jpg

John

[Nemmie]

I have a piece dated 1974 which is most definitely earthtones.

[chopin-liszt]

So the Earthtones concept must have been first taken from Mdina to MDG.
It's an original Harris design, executed differently by different makers.

[Nemmie]

I think so yes, and I also believe it was created in the Harris period but that is just my own opinion based on what I have seen on my travels.

I think it is dangerous to take someone else's memories from 40 years ago as completely factual without researching the physical evidence to see if it supports their claims.

I am sure the person concerned has only positive intentions but our memory can play tricks on the best of us, particularly after the passage of so much time.

[WhatHo!]

Can you show your dated example please Nemmie?

[Patrick]

Hi,
 I think my definition of 'Earthones' is different to that of Mdina collector......... I always see it as a brown colour trailed onto silver nitrate but a Mdina collector probably sees it as this http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TEoAAOSwu0hZc7xP/s-l1600.jpg
 The discussion we were having with Raymond was about the grid like pattern found at MDG and this being the precursor of the sloppy grid pattern,  spiral and random patterns of Mdina .

Wolfie and I are chasing up other leads as to the origins of this patterning.

Cheers,

Patrick.