Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: pwtHL2012 on May 31, 2012, 07:35:34 AM
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What that might be?
http://www.ebay.de/itm/330740333627?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
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This is a chinese aquarium weight - hope this helps
Dave
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The confusion arises because John Simmonds said in his book 'Paperweights from Great Britain' that a similar Chinese aquarium weight was made by the Ysarts. He accepts that was an error, but it was too late to correct the book. The problem is that people keep believing the book.....
Alan
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The one in John's book was a "Ducks on Pond" weight, which is where the initial confusion came from as that was a design used by Paul Ysart - although his were far more detailed (and a bit more realistic) than the faceted Chinese ones.
The one referred to above seems to be a similar design to that shown in John's book but with three very colourful birds that may or may not be set on a "pond-like" ground. If they are supposed to be some form of cormorant, gannet, or other diving sea bird, then perhaps Dave's comment re "aquarium weight" could be correct. :)
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Just to clarify a point; these chinese weights were actually made to go into aquaruims as a decoration. I am not sure of their ago but would guess 1920 -30.
A while ago I went to the house of an american dealer whose personal collection of 2,500 weights included a whole small cabinet of these aquarium weights and although the lampwork looks similar the variation of cutting/facetting is quiet something so they come is all shapes but a quite small in size so they don't look out of place in aquariums.
Dave
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I saw that collection in the late 90s...Awesome
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Very interesting, but raises a bit of curiosity in me - what is the point of going to the trouble of facetting a weight that is going to be sitting in water?
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Dave,
Thanks for that explanation of the "aquarium weights". Not something I had known. The only use of the term I knew was for Murano (e.g. Cenedese) "aquarium blocks / weights" and similar, but far less striking, items out of China.
Sue,
The effects of faceting still show under water, although edges can appear smoother.