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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Murano & Italy Glass => Topic started by: Paul S. on April 10, 2011, 11:31:33 AM

Title: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: Paul S. on April 10, 2011, 11:31:33 AM
Both wing tips have been ground/polished, making them more or less equal in length (the tail remains as 'original').           Since I know nothing about these glass animals, it may well be that this is the norm - or is it more likely that they have been broken and someone has 'doctored' them.      Oddly, I have a W/Fs. dilly duck that has a beak which is ground in a similar fashion, but always thought that it had been chipped and then ground down to make it look better (maybe not then).         On this duck, incidentally, the gold is inside the piece.     Would welcome any comments, and thanks for looking :)
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: TxSilver on April 10, 2011, 01:25:01 PM
I vote for damage "repair." A Seguso birds usually have round, smooth wings.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: Lustrousstone on April 10, 2011, 03:55:32 PM
But some of the WF ducks do have ground beaks, so that is OK
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: Paul S. on April 10, 2011, 05:02:01 PM
my thanks to both of you for enlightenment :)- although disappointed that the Seguso may well have been 'further shaped'.   I guess that a good test wud be if someone has a similar design that can be shown with unaltered wing tips.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: rosieposie on April 10, 2011, 05:27:33 PM
Hi Paul  :hi: ,  these have definately been ground down to hide some chipped damage.  The Whitefriars ducks have a rough tip because that is where the pontil rod was detatched (some of my Murano ducks have this as well).  But your poor little duck has had his wings clipped I'm afraid,  so he won't be able to fly away!!  The included gold is called Aventurine,  but I thiink you knew that.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: TxSilver on April 10, 2011, 05:33:39 PM
I agree, Rosie, about the wings. The gold is gold foil. The aventurine people in Murano normally use is copper. This duck has the real gold.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: antiquerose123 on April 10, 2011, 05:38:08 PM
I vote for damage "repair." A Seguso birds usually have round, smooth wings.

Me too, but still very nice. 

Better to have one by that maker -- than none at all.  As glass gets older (and Older) will hard to find perfect sometimes....and for a decent $$$.

 :thup:
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: Paul S. on April 10, 2011, 05:50:57 PM
have to admit that I knew almost none of the info. that you knowledgable sorts have now made clear.     In fact although I don't collect these things, I had convinced myself that this was the best buy of this morning's boot sale.......and now I know it's a reject :cry:  -  It only cost me Sterling £1.50, and I thought I'd really cracked it.          But thanks for all the facts about manufacturing processes, and I certainly didn't know that the pontil rod was attached to the beak in the dilly ducks (I don't collect those either, but have come across three cheapies in the course of hunting in charity shops and boot sales, although not quite sure why I have hung on to them).    What if I melt this duck down, can I re-claim the gold content ;D :wsh:
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: TxSilver on April 10, 2011, 06:00:05 PM
Some of the pieces have been sold on eBay so often that they've probably spent a good bit of their lives in the mail. I've seen some things so many times. I often wonder how many times something can be shipped without having its luck run out.

It may be related -- about half the things I've bought off eBay lately have had damage or repairs.

I do want to say that some of the earlier animals do have abrupt endings to some of their appendages (though usually not wings). The shaping of tails, trunks, feet, etc., was not as careful in the early days. Often they were just snipped, sometimes along a long line that left a scar. I don't see this snip and leave technique much in post-1960 animals, except for the occasional tail. When something is snipped, people get uncomfortable that it is actually chipped.

In the case of Paul's duck, it would have taken extra work to do the polishing on the wings. I don't think a glassmaker would have done it because it detracts from the appearance of the bird. So, like Rosie said, I think our little duck has been grounded and will never again have sings to soar. You'll have to set it on a special shelf, Paul.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: TxSilver on April 10, 2011, 06:01:52 PM
Rose, it would take more energy to melt the glass and separate the gold than the gold would be worth. There is only a very small amount of gold in a thin layer. When spread out it looks like a lot.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: TxSilver on April 10, 2011, 07:20:49 PM
Rose, it would take more energy to melt the glass and separate the gold than the gold would be worth. There is only a very small amount of gold in a thin layer. When spread out it looks like a lot.

I mean Paul, not Rose. I ran your two messages together. I must need some new specs.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: Paul S. on April 10, 2011, 08:29:08 PM
noted Anita  -  in that case I'll just go and turn off the furnace. ;)           The irony, which leaves me still uncertain, is that the tail projection remains perfectly intact and exactly as it would have been formed originally which seems - possibly -odd, especially if the bird suffered a rear shunt which damaged the wings.    However, anything is possible.   
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: TxSilver on April 10, 2011, 08:46:31 PM
It may be all in the deception. If only one wing is lopped, the damage is obvious. So lop off the other wing, too. Ouch! Then it looks like it was part of the design. Poor duck. The first wing probably just got chipped. The wing tip amputations followed. Take care of that duck, Paul. It has been through a lot.
Title: Re: are these Seguso wing tips original?
Post by: rosieposie on April 10, 2011, 09:28:00 PM
Yes Paul,  hang on to it,  it does have a real Seguso label after all!!  :rah: If you come across another one with wings intact, but without a label, you will have a positive identification for it if the rest of the duck is the same design, so it will be a useful comparison guide. Also, if you display it facing forward, no-one will be any the wiser!! :sun: