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Author Topic: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase  (Read 17556 times)

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Offline flying free

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #30 on: July 08, 2011, 06:13:29 AM »
I hope I haven't missed something in the reading but I couldn't see mention of this in the thread - in CH 20th Century British Glass page 78 there is a pic of a vase done by Steve Bradley entitled 'The Portland Vase blown and carved in white glass on blue, by Steve Bradley 1990'.
m

Offline Ivo

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #31 on: July 08, 2011, 08:16:51 AM »
I think that must have been the one which was made for the BBC documentary on the restauration of the Portland vase, circa 1990. First the whole restauration process is shown (including the measuring, taking apart and rematching) after which the original process of making the vase was recreated in a glass studio in the US to better understand the manufacturing process and restauration procedure. I have the film on a hard drive but unable to play it due to some Windows error reading the file format. But I remember the title was (surprise) "The Portland Vase".

Offline scimiman

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #32 on: July 08, 2011, 09:53:15 AM »
There are one or two video pieces on Youtube regarding the vase.
Mike www.abfabglass.co.uk

Offline flying free

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #33 on: July 08, 2011, 01:27:14 PM »
Ivo, it doesn't say that in CH 20th Century British Glass book? or refer to it.  Although it may be the one.
  It just says
'impressed by the work of George and Thomas Woodall, Steve Bradley started his love affair with cameo by copying the original Portland Vase as a way of coming to grips with the technique before creating the magnificent Arthur Vase and the Lancelot and Guinevere Plate'.
and wow....have you seen those pieces mentioned above?  they are also absolutely amazing.
m

Offline Ivo

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #34 on: July 08, 2011, 02:20:57 PM »

Maybe it was a different studio altogether, I am unable to remember names after 20 years. I found the details of film I mentioned:

Quote
The third and current reconstruction took place from 1 June 1988 and was completed on 1 October 1989 by Nigel Williams and Sandra Smith (and overseen by David Akehurst (CCO of Glass and Ceramics) who assessed the vase's condition during its appearance as the focal piece of an international exhibition of Roman glass and, at the conclusion of the exhibition, it was decided to go ahead with reconstruction and stabilisation. The treatment had scholarly attention and press coverage. The vase was photographed and drawn to record the position of fragments before dismantling; the BBC filmed the conservation process. All previous adhesives had failed, so to find one that would last, conservation scientists at the museum tested many adhesives for long term stability. Finally, an epoxy resin with excellent ageing properties was chosen. Reassembly of the vase was made more difficult as the edges of some fragments were found to have been filed down during the restorations. Nevertheless, all of the fragments were replaced except for a few small splinters. Areas that were still missing were gap-filled with a blue or white resin.

Source: Wikipedia.

Offline flying free

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #35 on: July 08, 2011, 03:16:06 PM »
I think then a different piece?  so one is the reconstruction of the vase or re-restoration process.
The Steve Bradley piece is another example of a copy of the vase.   :-[ I'm not being pedantic, just wanted to add this to the thread for reference.
m

Offline KevinH

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #36 on: July 08, 2011, 06:18:16 PM »
I also saw the doumentary film that Ivo mentioned. But I cannot remember whether the making of a copy of the Portland Vase was part of that film.

But I do recall seeing something on tv which was about the making of a copy of the vase - and pretty much all the main stages were covered, along with commentary about the difficulties and ideas on how certain parts were originally formed. I am fairly sure that the copy was made by a London glassworker, but I cannot remember who!
KevinH

Offline Frank

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #37 on: July 08, 2011, 09:22:20 PM »
Although now closed, there was one Czech glassworks that dated back to 1400s at the time of this thread.

Chribska 1427 earliest mention in literature.

As to the PV, it seems to be one of the most copied bits of glass since the WF brick thingies. Amused to read that someone made a P V copy as a student piece.

Offline flying free

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #38 on: July 08, 2011, 09:57:10 PM »
Ok a bit more info on the Steve Bradley Portland Vase version (and sorry for not reading more before posting previously), from CH 20th Century British Glass page 78 caption to plate 151(Steve Bradley's version of the Portland Vase)-
'.....Steve Bradley was inspired to attempt to make a version of the Roman cameo vase in the British Museum after seeing it as a subject of a Horizon television programme.  In his version of the vase, he has accurately reproduced the amphora shape which the original is thought to have had before alteration'

Elsewhere in the book page 79 under the fabulous Guinevere Plate blown and carved by Steve Bradley in 1990 - it refers to the fact that he worked as the glass-blower technician at the Royal College of Art.  His job was to blow blanks for the students and the above plate was actually blown for one of them but discarded quote 'in the departmental rubbish skip'.  It's blown in several layers.  He retrieved it and used it for The Guinevere Plate.  So yes a 'cameo-glass student' at that time I guess, but not entirely a glass student if you see what I mean, clearly an amazing glass artist.
Ooooh I love that section in the book and would love to own a piece of cameo glass :mrgreen:
m

Offline Frank

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Re: Now here is a REAL challenge! Portland vase
« Reply #39 on: July 08, 2011, 11:14:44 PM »
Buy one of the Tip Galle's, all the joys of owning a small fortune in glass at a fraction of the price.

 

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