Topic: Mdina green button top vase.

[AndyD]

I wondered if anyone could tell me if this bottle green Mdina vase might be an experimental colour. I've not seen it before.

The dark spots are mostly bubbles and when turned in light seem to disappear. It's not signed but the button rim would suggest it being an early piece.

Thanks

[Vitreo94]

Looks circa 1969-70 to me, so certainly early. Not sure if I’d class it as experimental but more unusual than the blue/ green and amethyst ones.

Colours vary through different quantities of compounds mixing with others so perhaps it was an experiment in that regard. Otherwise the shape appears normal.

 Lovely piece though!

[chopin-liszt]

Have a very careful look at the base and turn it around in the light. See if it is polished completely flat, or if it has a sort of flat batutto effect.
I would suspect this is MDG, and an unusual shape for them, especially with a button rim, given Boffo was perfectly able to make lovely fine slim flanges. But he was training others at the time. If the base has the flattish batutto effect, it's MDG.
Mdina didn't have any green glass, early on, as far as I know. And I've looked. 

Mark's book says there is, but that is because green MDG had been seen but not identified as MDG, because we hadn't discovered it existed then. The only time green does appear in Mdina, to my knowledge, is when a swathe of clear amber results from silver reactions in a casing over a teal gather.

This is the right shade of green for MDG. (Malta Decorative Glass)

[Vitreo94]

I personally wouldn’t say MDG, never seen them imitate a sidestripe before. Button tops were Michael’s choice of finish until the Boffos taught him how to finish with wider flanges.

They certainly did have green, I have an experimental tricorn bowl completely in pastel green wth lots and lots of bubbles. Bought from Artius Glass a couple of years back  and verified by Tim as Michael’s work at Mdina.

Also not aware of MDG actively using Silver Chloride either, happy to be proven wrong though.

[chopin-liszt]

They imitated many Mdina shapes - I have a green tricorn bowl, I've had goblets and a chalice (without the strappy knop).
I'd be interested in seeing your green bit.  I have been on the lookout for anything green that was before Said introduced the bought in colours and green appeared then in the splodgy stuff.
But i think the base finish on this side-stripe would be the decider.

[Vitreo94]

I’ve seen a lot of MDG, got a few bits for sale as it happens but never seen a sidestripe one, or indeed a piece with a button top like this. I believe I posted it some time ago on another topic. I’ll have to post it on here when I’m home. It’s very large and very heavy.

I agree, the base finish will be the decider, and intriguing piece whatever the outcome!

[chopin-liszt]

I had a large collection of MDG before we knew what it was. I'd just assumed it was Mdina, but I was collecting early, nothing much was known or written about it then. I bit my nails waiting for Jackson's 20th century factory glass to be printed just to get the wee bit in that.

[AndyD]

I have some MDG and have sold a few pieces so am aware of the base finish you mean. This one has a flat polished base and has some faint blue in the top of the rim. I'm sure it's a Mdina piece. I will add a couple of images later.

Thanks

[AndyD]

Image of the base and rim.

[chopin-liszt]

Well that is the first bit of true green early Mdina I've seen. (Unless it was made at a later date, but it's clear green, not the opaque of the splodgy stuff, so that's unlikely.)
The blue arises from silver ions in the casing - it's the "electric-blue cloudy" bit.
Never say never!
However, never saying never also means we can't rule out MDG managing a flat base.