Topic: 'Amphora' vase - naff or nonchelant?

[Gwion James]

Trawled a few books for anything close to this - probably it is too insignificant to feature....anyway I wondered what it was - thought vaguely touristy Italian? It's 15.5 cm high.

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3610

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3609

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3608

But more than that I wondered if the wonkiness and asymmetry would reflect real lack of control in the maker, or deliberately charming, cultivated  inexactitude. Hence would it be considered a 'weakness'? Again, perhaps  the piece is too minor to warrant such weighings-up at all; but, d'you know, it's got something.....

Thanks for looking.

[heartofglass]

Hi Gwion,
these vases are 1970s Chinese.
Occaisionally they turn up with a label.
They come in a big range of colours,with or without stripes, & several sizes, & get attributed to everyone from Murano to Stourbridge.
Quality is variable, & as you noted, they can be wonky.
I have a few of them, obtained cheaply in early collecting days.
As long as you don't pay much, they are colourful & look good in groups with other similiarly coloured items.

[Gwion James]

Thanks so much Marinka - Chinese - that's wild. I just love how classical shapes and styles travel through these utterly unlikely routes and mutations. Meanwhile I guess in Europe in the 70s various people were knocking out 'Chinese style' stuff. I got it for 50p.