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Author Topic: Paperweight Identification  (Read 10814 times)

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Offline Leni

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2005, 10:15:45 PM »
Quote from: "aa"
snipe? more like snip! http://www.lundbergstudios.com/crystal/crystal.html click on mixed crystal paperweights where you can see the real thing....and note the prices :D

Yeah, yeah!   :roll:

My real ambition is to own a Paul Joseph Stankard.  And a Debbie Tarsitano.  AND a Jim Donofrio.  AND a Rosenfeld.  AND an Ayotte.  AND a Trabucco.  Oh, and a Salazar, of course.   :twisted:

However, until I win the lottery (and since I don't even buy a ticket, 'it *couldn't* be me' ..... ) I guess I'm just stuck with bidding for more modestly priced weights on eBay   :(    

Leni   :wink:
Leni

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Anonymous

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2005, 10:59:25 PM »
You' never know whats around the corner Leni....about 8 years ago I wandered into a fair at 2 in the afternoon and right on the front of one the stalls was this excellent paperweight....I duly happily paid my £25.
Sent my photos off to Sweetbriars and found myself with a somewhat expensive Bacchus weight........... what I couldnt understand is why it hadnt been snapped up for its superb quality...when I bought it I didnt know what it was.........anyway I want one of Stankards superb huge rectangular weights with all  life forces tangled up in the root systems.
ah well....dream on eh

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Offline Frank

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2005, 11:59:33 PM »
Never give up hope, I sold a pair of earrings with Paul Ysart canes but made by Debbie Tarsitano for well under a 100 pounds!

Bargains always land in your lap when you buy with your heart - because you never make mistakes.

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Offline KevinH

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2005, 01:39:51 AM »
Leni, really ... your ambitions are only set at:
Quote
... a Paul Joseph Stankard. And a Debbie Tarsitano. AND a Jim Donofrio. AND a Rosenfeld. AND an Ayotte. AND a Trabucco. Oh, and a Salazar, of course.
:D

So, you don't like Barry Sautner's work, then? Or are you sticking to "regular" paperweights rather than the more adventurous? For those who are not aware of some of world's best carved "sculptural paperweights", check out the Sautner pieces at Larry Selman's dealer site:
http://theglassgallery.com

And how about all the other excellent US paperweight makers such as Chris Buzzini, Randall Grubb, Mayauel Ward, etc etc etc.

 :wink:

Oh yes, and for those of us not lucky enough to find a Bacchus paperweight for under than a few thousand £ ... Jim Brown, also a US maker, produces regular millefiori weights in the Bacchus style (but all properly signed with his "B" cane) - he took his ideas from the antique Bacchus pieces. Again, check out Larry Selman's site for examples.
KevinH

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Offline Leni

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2005, 08:45:53 AM »
Quote from: "KevH"
So, you don't like Barry Sautner's work, then? Or are you sticking to "regular" paperweights rather than the more adventurous? For those who are not aware of some of world's best carved "sculptural paperweights", check out the Sautner pieces at Larry Selman's dealer site:
http://theglassgallery.com

Wow!   :shock:  

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction Kev.  Another artist to add to my list  :D
Quote
And how about all the other excellent US paperweight makers such as Chris Buzzini, Randall Grubb, Mayauel Ward, etc etc etc.

 :wink:

OK, AND them too!   :twisted:  It was late and I was just listing favourites off the top of my head.  

My 'Main Man' is still Stankard though.  With Donofrio not far behind.  I LOVE those masks!   :P  And I heard it rumoured that Donofrio was the originator of Stankard's little 'earth spirits' or 'root people' when he worked with him.  

I am just starting to look more closely at millefiori weights.  I have a couple, but I think I still love lampwork best.

But thanks, as always, for educating me and broadening my (already eclectic  :lol: ) tastes!

Leni
Leni

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Offline Frank

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« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2005, 10:14:11 AM »
Leni

More affordable lampworker Allan Scott

Kevin,

Sautner's pieces ARE amazing, are there any European paperweight makers going down this art path? Or is it just an American phenomenon?

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Offline KevinH

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2005, 05:22:42 PM »
Frank raised a good question:
Quote
Sautner's pieces ARE amazing, are there any European paperweight makers going down this art path? Or is it just an American phenomenon?


I only know of Sautner doing that type of work to that degree of finesse. Maybe there are others who have produced items along similar lines but to be honest, if it's done within the "art glass" field rather than a direct connection to paperweights, then I am not up to speed with what's going on.

As for it possibly being an American phenomenon, I think it's more likely a one-man show - at the level of precision of Sauther's work. He developed a technique which could be called "single-grain chasing" I'm not sure about the proper technical name for this, but essentially, by directing a stream of single grains of "sand" (or whatever is used) through a small hand-held nozzle, he is able to carve away very thin layers of glass with incredible control to produce all sorts of wonderful effects.

If we consider diatreta glass, where the ouiter layer of carved design is supported only by thin "pegs" - all of which were carved by hand, undecutting the outer deisgn, we get a very basic idea of the skill needed. Again, consider those Chinese ceremaic balls within balls within balls, each layer carved to separate the inner parts into free spheres. Well, to my mind, what Barry Sautner has done takes diatreta and Chinese balls to a level that few could even consider attempting.

Unless, of course, anyone does know of other equally fine work, in which case I would be pleased to learn of it.

Just a pity that I will probably never be able to afford such an item. :cry:
KevinH

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Offline Frank

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« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2005, 07:03:29 PM »
Quote from: "KevH"
If we consider diatreta glass, where the outer layer of carved design is supported only by thin "pegs" - all of which were carved by hand, undercutting the outer deisgn


Actually that is not how the Diatreta were made - another of those myths in glass. I will see if I can find the article I found recently - a schloarly dissertaion on the method used.

I was not particularly referring to the Sautner but to all of the fine art weights that are being displayed alongside him on Selmans site. Sure some of them are pushing the conventional view of the paperweight ... and then there are the marbles and the Murrine work - though not much of that there at the mo.

These people are developing remarkable skills that are obviously rooted in paperweights but breaking out of the strictures.. pity that they are so expensive but then Selman's is not a source for bargains anyway.

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Offline Leni

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #18 on: March 04, 2005, 09:14:36 PM »
Quote from: "KevH"
He developed a technique which could be called "single-grain chasing" I'm not sure about the proper technical name for this, but essentially, by directing a stream of single grains of "sand" (or whatever is used) through a small hand-held nozzle, he is able to carve away very thin layers of glass with incredible control to produce all sorts of wonderful effects.

According to Jonathan Harris - who was very helpful and open about his methods when questioned at the Cambridge Glass Fair  :D - 'sand' blasting is now done with aluminium oxide rather than silicon oxide!  Other than that, the technique is the same, but can now be done with pencil thin point tools - the 'single grain' method mentioned above :shock:

Leni
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Offline KevinH

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Paperweight Identification
« Reply #19 on: March 05, 2005, 03:16:27 PM »
Frank, please do try to find the dissertation on the Diatreta process you mentioned.

As some of you will know, in 2004 the Glass Cone (newsletter of the Glass Association) ran an article on the Constable-Maxwell "cage cup" (or hanging oil lamp) sold through Bonhams. But they did not take the opportunity to mention a non-carved method of making. So any new thoughts on this would be very welcome.

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General point about American paperweight making:

One of the reasons that many of the American studio weights are relatively expensive is that they are made entirely by "torchwork" rather than the more widely known "tank / kiln" method. Also, when the modern American studio makers produce their intricate flowers, every petal, stem and leaf is made by "lampwork" and assembled piece by piece to build up the whole multi-part flower. This is in direct contrast to the easier method of mass produced "crimp" flowers, where the petals are produced in one go by pressing the glass into a pre-formed crimp mould.

After constructing the "lampwork" flower, and other elements, a billet of crsytal glass is heated over the torch and when ready, the flower etc are added to the billet and the whole thing worked to produce the final article.

For an intricate design in an American studio weight, it can take a whole day (and perhaps more) to make just one weight!

You may have noticed that I have put words like lampwork and torchwork in quote marks. This is really just for emphasis, but interesting discussions on the term "torchwork" have been had over the last few years. Some folk maintain that working at the lamp or torch are the same thing. Others would argue that lampwork applies only to construction of smaller elements and that the complete working of a paperweight at a torch, using a billet instead of a gather, is actually a different process. In some respects I think it's a bit like discussions on "makers" versus "artists", which can be applied across the whole realm of modern art glass. Whatever the semantics, torchwork artists are here to stay - and the prices probably do fairly reflect the often exquisite detailed workmanship.

-----------

I am very happy that paperweights ("gift-type" / "collectable" / "wow-factor") have had a good airing recently. So I really must give a plug for the UK-based Paperweight Collectors Circle (since I am current webmaster for the site). Those of you who have developed an interest in these fascinating 'baubles', and are not yet members, may like to consider joining, even if only for the full-colour newsletter produced 3 times a year - http://www.kevh.clara.net/index.htm
KevinH

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