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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 05:31:52 PM

Title: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 05:31:52 PM
Any further information on this IOW/Harris bottle would be greatly appreciated...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 05:34:00 PM
Here's the signature if that helps...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on August 27, 2011, 06:04:07 PM
Another super item.

I'm not a big collector of Isle of Wight glass generally speaking, however, I would guess that your bottle could date from any time between the mid 70s to around 1980ish. Sure someone will confirm the date. The signature is a very desirable addition.

Does the base have a flame pontil mark..?

Greg
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chopin-liszt on August 27, 2011, 06:15:10 PM
I can't make it out! Is it blue and white swirls? Is it blue and clear swirls ? or is it Seaward? (blue and green swirls and bubbles)
Does it have a flame pontil mark or does it have the coach-bolt mark?
Or is it even an Aurene piece?

Is it a flat bottle or a rounded one?
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 06:57:12 PM
You're going to have to help me out here re the pontil mark. Looks kind of like a button to me if that makes you any the wiser.

When you see flat or rounded, do you mean the base?

As for the colour (apologies for poor photo) it's blue swirls with white in the stopper and some white at the very top of the bottle.

Will try and get a better picture for you.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on August 27, 2011, 07:12:43 PM
Hi,

Could you take a shot of the whole base and a shot of the bottle from the side without the elevated photo angle.

Thanks
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 08:14:45 PM
Okey spokes. Here's the side view...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 08:17:36 PM
and the base...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on August 27, 2011, 08:38:45 PM
Thanks.

I think that looks like the 'coachbolt' pontil mark. If so this would date it slightly earlier than I first thought, around 1973.

Not sure about the pattern/ range, sure someone will confirm soon.

 :)
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 08:47:27 PM
Cheers for that, Greg. Much appreciated. I'm learning lots!
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: glassobsessed on August 27, 2011, 09:20:31 PM
Known as blue and white swirls.

John
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 27, 2011, 09:24:15 PM
Thanks John!
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chopin-liszt on August 28, 2011, 11:47:31 AM
John being very.... quiet there. Probably having a seething fit of the greens!
Coachbolt pontil mark - very early, very, very desirable, scarce blue and white swirls design - and it's a big flattened perfume bottle - a very desirable shape - and it's got it's stopper!
(Don't aks my why it's called a perfume bottle - the stoppers don't fit and it's far too big, and trying to pour liquid from it would be next to impossible.)
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chilternhills on August 28, 2011, 03:26:00 PM
I agree. 'Blue & White Swirls'. More info here: http://iowstudioglass.wikidot.com/bluewhite (http://iowstudioglass.wikidot.com/bluewhite) A very nice piece and rare. It is the first time I have seen a Blue & White Swirls perfume bottle. Nevertheless it seems that Blue & White Swirls and Seaward were produced in the same shapes at about the same time.

Anton
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: glassobsessed on August 28, 2011, 04:12:26 PM
Not perfume bottles, that really is the wrong description. Mark Hill refers to one in his book as a "bottle" (p79).  Stoppered bottle if you want, I think of them as squat bottles or squat vases if they have no stopper..... ::)

John
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chopin-liszt on August 28, 2011, 04:31:38 PM
Have you any idea where the "perfume" part of the description for these appeared from John?
I'm aware it's been in general use for these for some time, despite the complete and utter lack of "perfume bottle" qualia to the pieces.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: glassobsessed on August 28, 2011, 04:39:45 PM
This thread is the first time I have noticed it but I assume I have not been paying attention until now....

John
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 28, 2011, 08:57:35 PM
Thanks all for your posts - good to know it's a rare piece. Cheers particularly for that link, Anton - very useful.

While we're on the subject of bottles, can I just check the tall piece at the back of this photo is missing its stopper...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: glassobsessed on August 28, 2011, 09:09:37 PM
It would never have had a stopper.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 28, 2011, 09:14:38 PM
Cheers John. It looked similar to examples I've seen with ball stoppers in them, so couldn't be sure. Thanks for putting me right.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on August 28, 2011, 09:38:48 PM
I'll take the front three please.

 :sun:
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 28, 2011, 10:02:41 PM
Cheers Greg. I'd love an attenuated vase - think they're absolutely stunning.

Btw... do you know the age/design of the bottle on the far left? It isn't signed but has a paper label with 'Handmade, Isle of Wight, England' if that helps...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on August 28, 2011, 10:28:22 PM
I can't make out if that's an 'Aurene' bottle or another pattern from the photo.

If its the label I'm thinking it would date from around 75 until around 1980 I believe.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 28, 2011, 10:33:01 PM
Cheers Greg!
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chopin-liszt on August 29, 2011, 10:39:18 AM
That's Aurene.  :thup:
Gorgeous!
I'm just after the blue and ochrey yellow globe. And I stated my claim first  >:D get back the rest of you.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 30, 2011, 01:08:38 PM
Thanks for the confirmation, Sue. Much appreciated.

Can I just check that the bottle vase at the back is in the Verdala design? Found a bowl on ebay that looks pretty similar...
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chopin-liszt on August 30, 2011, 01:29:07 PM
The bottle at the back is Mdina "Tortoiseshell". (Quite different to IoWSG Tortoiseshell, which is a yellow and brown spiral pattern.)
Verdala is the name given to a shape of bowl - it's named after the Verdala hotel in Malta - who commissioned them. They can come in several different Mdina colourways and they continued to be made after MH left - so are often found in later colourways.
The shape of the bowl is sort of a big flat plate (raised from a small base) with straight-up sides - at right angles to the sides. They're normally around 8" in diameter - but earlier ones can be bigger.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: goyjus on August 30, 2011, 01:31:00 PM
Oh I see!!! It's the shape. Interesting to know. Many thanks.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on September 01, 2011, 05:17:17 PM
Just had a related question regarding the stoppered bottle in a blue and white swirl pattern that started this thread.

Did Isle of Wight Glass produce similar stoppered bottles in just a pink swirl pattern? Had a look on the Isle of Wight board and could only see pink and blue swirls and nothing with just pink swirls.

Any thoughts welcome.

 :sun:
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 01, 2011, 06:22:01 PM
In the early days, ranges were not all sorted and set out - there was a lot of experimentation going on, Michael Harris was continuing to see what he could get glass to do, just carrying on from he was doing at Mdina, building on his experience constantly.

There may be a odd pink swirls with clear glass thing around somewhere.
Blue and pink swirls was never even really a "proper" range, nor were blue and white, or blue and clear for that matter.
The first established and named range was Seaward, in '73.
Title: Re: IOW Michael Harris Bottle - dates/info?
Post by: Greg. on September 01, 2011, 06:33:38 PM
Thanks for the info, most interesting.

I don't have the bottle as yet, something I'm in the process of buying.  

I'll try to add a few pictures when it arrives or post a link with a few images in the mean time.

Thanks again.

 :sun: