Topic: Is this an IOW globe vase with flame seal on pontil?

[Hannah Cramp]

Hello all,
I've had this vase for ages but i'm doing a bit of a clear out for new stuff so i decided to list it along with other bits and bobs on ebay. I am so convinced it is IOW as the shape is right and the pontil mark etc.. But i have had someone contact me and say that it is Kerry glass and not IOW. Please could someone confirm it for me either way and then i'll decide what to do with the listing.
Many thanks,
Hannah
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4763
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4764

[MarkHill]

Hi Hannah.
That someone was right - it is a piece of Kerry Glass, in this case in a colourway known as Shamrock. Kerry Glass was co-founded by Michael Harris (of Isle of Wight Glass) in 1978. Harris provided all the designs, colourways and shapes -- and indeed all the equipment and know-how to build the glass workshop and furnaces, hence the link. This is a standard production shape from the range.
Hope this helps,
Best wishes,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com

[Pip]

Mark, I seem to remember reading in one of my books that Kerry Glass used the IOW flame mark in reverse - is this correct?  Because the flame mark on Hannah's piece appears to be the correct way around 

[Hannah Cramp]

Thankyou Mark,
I am pleased to have got a second opinion and i'll ammend it on ebay asap. I can't believe the massive similarities and the same pontil mark but i guess that's it makes sense with the Michael Harris connection. Do you know of any web sites where i can view their glass? I have never heard of them before and they not in any of my reference books.
Thanks again,
Hannah

[KevinH]

Re: Pip's query about the reversed logo ... In a message from July last year (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,6145.0.html), David [registered as archiveIOWSG] said:

Unfortunately Kerry Glass lost the original press that emboss's the flame onto the bottom and had one made themselves, this turned out to of been made as a mirror image to the prunt's on IOW glass piece's. So if a piece of Kerry Glass has an identical prunt as IOW glass then it would of been made at IOW glass and is probably one of the early samples sent out to Kerry, but if the prunt is a mirror image then it was made at Kerry.

Re: Hannah's query about a website to view Kerry Glass products, I would suggest that no specific site exists. There may be occasional examples on various sites. As stated in the message linked to above (and via the links within that) Kerry Glass closed down, but we don't know when.

Moderators ... could one of you please amend the links within the message I have linked above as they refer to the php board. Thanks.

Moderator: Done

[Sue C]

Google kerry crafted glass. www.irishkerryglass.com

[lyndhurst44]

Has anyone noticed there is an almost identical theme running on Paperweights at the moment.
I also listed a Kerry Glass item on Heidimin's Sweet little 1960's vase from Malta topic yesterday. My vase though actually has a shamrock pontil suggesting it is from the new formed Kerry Glass Company.

Bryn (not Brian)

[Frank]

Yes it was linked by KevH above, following which, I then added a specific question in that original thread to get an example of the reversed seal as no one has yet shown one.

[KevinH]

And for confirmation, the site that Sue has linked to for Kerry Crafted Glass is the one that gave rise to the information in the thread last year about the original Kerry Glass closing down "2 years ago". Because the Kerry Crafted Glass site seemed to have no info anywhere to say when it was actually set up, we were (or at least, I was) left with the outstanding question about when the original company closed down.

I should have sent an email and asked ... which I have now done.

[MarkHill]

Hi Pip,
Yes, you are right - you did indeed read in a book that Kerry Glass used a 'reversed flame' pontil mark --- it was in my book!!!
As David points out, this was most probably as the original stamp was lost or damaged. However, please not that not ALL Kerry Glass is marked this way, and it would be right to suppose that any marked with a reverse pontil mark is most likely to be later than those that have the mark the right way around.
I interviewed the owner of the current Kerry Glass for my book - he was a blower and maker at the original Kerry Glass. Alas he was not able to shed any light on exactly what happened or when.....just to save anyone the time of contacting him and asking!!
Also, I'm not aware of any website or other information source about Kerry Glass other than items sold by Artius Glass, or similar queries on the message board at Isle of Wight Studio Glass. I was able to track down an original shape list, which appears reproduced in my book, along with a 2 page spread about Kerry showing the main colourways produced.
Best,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com