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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: chriscooper on July 20, 2011, 02:36:20 PM
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Small squat globe vase, rim a little uneven, sand coloured tones a couple of nice big bubbles and swirls.
The base is quite thin similar to the attenuated bottles with a broken pontil mark not much sign of a flame though.
Quite a small one just 2.5" high.
https://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/IsleOfWightEarlySquatVase#5631435363085962434
Chris :sun:
[Mod: Edited to remove empty space and duplicate sign off line]
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mmmmmmm I am leaning more towards Mdina, I had a similar one
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My first thoughts included both but the base seemed to steer me towards IoW ?
Chris
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Not Isle of Wight I suspect, the shape and large rim are not quite right. Neither is the colour or the snapped off pontil mark, you find them on attenuated bottles and not a lot else.
Not Mdina either I reckon but sadly I can not help with who may have made it. It's rather nice though.
I suppose it may have left the back door at either works but I would be inclined to look elsewhere, the base would make me check with Alum Bay first.
John
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If the base curves in slightly towards the pontil mark I would also lean towards Alum Bay. It is a beautiful colourway and I'm not used to seeing their pieces without a white ish interior but it could well be.
m
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Definitely rules out IoW then, checked out Alum and can find nothing that closely resembles this vase except the rough pontil mark m. Did Michael Harris have any imput at Alum Bay glass John do you know. Does the colourway resemble a Mdina pattern, as in if I had not posted a picture of the base would you have had a different opinion? thinking aloud here using the Nigel Benson theory Lol.
Not sure if you can tell from the base but it 'kicked out' and quite thin.
Chris :sun:
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Alum Bay have been going a long time Chris, almost forty years now (predating the Harris family's arrival). Not finding it in the current catalogue does not exactly rule it out. It may bear some passing resemblance to either IoWSG or Mdina but there are more features that say no to me than there are that say maybe.
John
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Hi John, have looked at the website and apparently began in 1972 has Island glass and switched to a new purpose built studio in 1983 and renamed Alum Bay. I have looked beyond the current catalogue and have emailed them some photos.
Chris
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After having another look I am coming down in favour of I don't know.
Random thoughts:
The snapped pontil mark and the width of the rim are not consistent with early IoW.
That pretty iridescent swirl is a bit of a give away for the use of silver chloride.
Those colours remind me a bit of Malta Decorative Glass....
John
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Hi John, must confess thought long and hard about the title and having been 'rebuked' on several occasions for the use of 'early Mdina' and any indiscriminate mention of the 'Boffo' word seems provoke a similar response decided to tread carefully.
Coincidently the vase was in a cabinet with an Amber M D G dog, the dog has been there a long time and at £35 it may well be there a bit longer. Read nothing into that though because both were actually described as Murano?
Personally I think it's a interesting little vase with a lot going for it and considering the Mdina / IoW buffs on here I was hoping for a few more comments if only to discount either, maybe trying to be clever with the title has backfired :-[
Thanks Chris :sun:
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I would have to agree Chris, the vase is very pretty.
I don't know whether they ever used silver chloride at Alum Bay and a snapped off pontil mark would be a new feature for MDG (as far as I can remember). The bluey-grey sort of colour mixed in with the browns may also be a pointer but I know not where.
John
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The only reason that I haven't replied on this one is that I have nothing to add to what John has already said. IMO not IOW or Mdina, unlikely MDG. You may have to look at a completely different area but as my field is primarily early Mdina and IOWSG I'm not much use in giving any help as to where else to look.
Nice piece (not so keen on the clumpy neck though)
Suzy xxx
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Thanks for taking a look anyway Suzy your opinion is always appreciated :sun:
See if anything comes from the Alum Bay lead.
Chris
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Have you checked for a tiny signature; I'm thinking T (Tom) Young
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No signature Christine, took some more photos outside in natural light, found white, blue, green and pink amongst the swirls and blobs.
More photos here if anyone wants to have another look.
https://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/UnknownVase#5634352972650961202
Chris
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It looks even nicer in the new photos Chris. Is it cased in clear (rather than amber)?
It may be worth emailing the IoW and asking, even if that only rules them out definitively, if it was not for that snapped pontil mark....
John
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Thanks for sticking with it John, really bugging me this piece I would normally just pass it on to a friend or maybe list it as unknown but with this I just have a gut feeling it's something good and it's got under my skin.
Maybe a member of both could link it to the IoW board for me? if only to cancel it out?
Would be good to get Mark Hill to take a look and of course a couple of leading lights on here who are not usually slow to offer an opinion are conspicuous by their absence but I ain't going to beg ;D
Presumed it is clear cased but oddly enough noticed when taking the outdoor photos the pontil mark is clear glass ?
Chris
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Chris I'm probably going to be proved wrong but I also had an Alum bay pot with the same type curved inwards base, the cracked of pontil mark and the clear see through pontil scar.
I'm going to try and find some pics.
Link here - http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,30885.msg167371.html#msg167371
m
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Just performed the water test Jp told me about years ago how to tell if an item is cased or not and it is definitely cased.
m steering away from Alum Bay, not because I 'want' it to be something else but seen a lot of their stuff and seen nothing similar in style shape or colouring have sent them some photos but reply has yet.
Maybe one of the other companies on Malta or could even be a studio has Christine suggested but again not marked.
What about the colours and shape does that 'shout' out anything? or does everything just hinge on the base, can only speak really on Whitefriars has I have sold and handled thousands of pieces over the years and quite a few of these had a base you would not expect to see purely because they were either trial pieces or were put to one side after being taken of the pontil rod to be 'stolen' at the end of the and either kept for themselves or sold on in the pub.
Chris :sun:
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Just read this post Ed Iglehart mushroom some similarities maybe?
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,39993.0.html
Chris
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Ed Iglehart's wonderful glass is lamp worked, so no, not many similarities...
Here is a nice bit of his work though: https://picasaweb.google.com/Johnmj100/MiscellaneousGlass#5625830386663914402
The glass is very thin and the vessel is very light in weight (and about 10 or 12cm tall).
John
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Hi Chris,
Been observing this thread with interest, although couldn't really add much more to what's already been mentioned. Certainly a great looking vase, and great set of new pictures, which show the detail well.
As already mentioned, the base and rim are concerns for concentrating on IOW, I would tend to lean towards either the piece being a piece of studio glass or Alum glass which has been aforementioned.
I had a look at a few examples of Alum Glass on the web and in terms of the base finish and treatment, Alum does seem the closest at present to yours. I would be very interested to hear what Alum think. Also, as mentioned, whilst contacting IOW, may well draw a blank, they may well be able to suggest another avenue to explore.....
While looking across the web, I came across a recent thread on GMB regarding Alum, whilst the piece in the thread has clear differences, there may be some similarities to yours....(not sure if you have seen this already..?)
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?topic=40900.0
Interesting to hear what you find out, certainly keep hold of the vase for a little longer yet!
Greg
:)
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Hi Greg, thanks for your comments maybe Alum Bay seems to be the most popular suggestion so far, did eMail them through the website a couple of weeks ago though, I have checked my 'sent mail' box today and can find no record of it being sent? not sure whether to try again or leave it a while and hope they received it.
Not a member of the IoW site so don't know much about it though I did ask kindly if there were any members on here who were and could link this post to their forum for me.
Will hang onto it and let you know about the Alum Bay line if I get a reply.
Chris
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Hi Chris,
Just stumbled across this on the web and the IOW forum, appreciate the piece in question is indeed very different, however the kicked up base and broken pontil mark reminded me a little of your piece. Little bit of information from Ron Wheeler and also Sue that I'm sure you will find interesting.
Still would have a few concerns about the rim on yours, although thought that this would prove of interest, if not confusing the search even further!
http://www.isleofwightstudioglass.co.uk/SMF/index.php?topic=345.0
:)
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Thanks for the link Greg even more confused now ;D had a few of the blue and pink swirly vases over the years with the flame mark and with a kicked out base and swirly scar so initially puzzled earlier in the thread when this was 'dismissed' has not being IoW for exactly that reason?? only to read in your link that some early pieces had the 'kicked' out base and scar, hoped that someone may have linked it to the IoW board for me which may have thrown up a few more comments :-[
Thanks again Chris :sun:
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Decided to get back in touch with Alum Bay Glass yesterday.........
Received a reply this morning from Colin Green.
"Hi Chris, I would say early Alum Bay Glass or even late Island Glass.
I would say it was made by Michael Rayner.
It would have had a loose glass stopper in the top.
I remember making these in the late eighties, but I think yours is mid seventies"
Kindest regards
Colin
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Thanks for the update Chris, pleased you got ID, interesting to hear what Alum Bay Glass had to say.
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:-X ;)
That is interesting, so another studio that used silver chloride at that time and a really nice vase, even if the neck is not up to Suzy's standards. :ooh:
John
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Changed the album title to include the new details so the previous link will not show here is the new link.
https://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/EarlyIsleOfWightAlumBayGlassGlobeVase
Chris :sun:
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https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wwsHx0kWNDQ/TjE-GsXisPI/AAAAAAAAPZM/Q--npc_MfYY/s640/SDC15274.JPG (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wwsHx0kWNDQ/TjE-GsXisPI/AAAAAAAAPZM/Q--npc_MfYY/s640/SDC15274.JPG)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IsvrJMaNktw/TjE-QUIEoiI/AAAAAAAAPZk/9pdIv7hERMo/s576/SDC15276.JPG (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IsvrJMaNktw/TjE-QUIEoiI/AAAAAAAAPZk/9pdIv7hERMo/s576/SDC15276.JPG)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QpaixepCyeY/TjE-1ttn4BI/AAAAAAAAPa0/hrhOOCYBd7g/s640/SDC15283.JPG (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QpaixepCyeY/TjE-1ttn4BI/AAAAAAAAPa0/hrhOOCYBd7g/s640/SDC15283.JPG)
Chris :sun:
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Thanks Chris, it deserves to be seen. ;D
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Hi, permanent photos added.
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Please also see: C.1968 Early Mdina Trial/ Experimental Vase (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,24434.0.html), in the Malta forum, where a differing ID is discussed.