Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Murano & Italy Glass => Topic started by: 55ghost on December 29, 2010, 06:37:31 AM
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I believe I have a Murano Glass Aquarium Block. It has no labels but it looks just like one I found at an antique website I visited. It is approx. 2 inches thick, 12 inches wide and 8 1/2 inches tall. I know nothing about Murano Glass or the Aquarium Block. Can you tell me anything about it by looking at the picture? I am thinking about selling it and would like to be able to give some information. The artist? The age? Anything would help. Thank you so much! (I have tried to attach the photo, but even at 150 dpi, this website says it is to large!)
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I don't know what system you're using to try to get the image to the right size - I use paint shop pro, and the instructions for getting it right are here:-
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,34093.0.html
works for me. It's the compression bit where some folk fall foul.
There's more here:-
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,36712.0.html
General techie bits and information and board policy are here:-
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/board,22.0.html
welcome!
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Thanks for your help. Here is the photo!
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Looks more like Barbini than some of the other makers, big size too. There is a similar sized one for sale locally (with some damage).
Very nice. Put 'barbini aquarium' into google images and you will see some in a similar style.
John
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From my internet surfing, I am pretty sure that it is by Riccardo Licata. I have found others that are almost identical except for two of my fish are different colors. I think it is Cenedese glass??? There is one like mine at Antiques-Atlas.com. (Antique Glass Murano) It is the same size and one of the fish is identical.
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I believe the one at Antiques-atlas which 55ghost has mentioned is (for as long as it remains on offer): http://antiques-atlas.com/antique/murano_glass_aquarium_block/as171a007
The listing states "attrbuted to" - which means the ID for Licata at Cenedese is not certain. Anyone here have good experience of the makers of these better fish blocks?
(I know we have a thread on these somewhere. Maybe I'll try to find it soon. Edited to add... the thread(s) I was thinking about were in relation to paperweights / large orbs, rather than the aquarium blocks, so not of much relevance here.)
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I checked some of the aquaria on Dan Ripley's Antique Helper and have the feeling the one in this thread is Cenedese. There is one almost like it at http://www.antiquehelper.com/item/313080. Does anyone know whether Licata's designs are all signed? I don't know. The seaweed and stripes on the fish make me think Cenedese, but I don't know who designed it for them.
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I checked some of the aquaria on Dan Ripley's Antique Helper and have the feeling the one in this thread is Cenedese. There is one almost like it at http://www.antiquehelper.com/item/313080. Antique Helper attributes it to Barbini for Cenedese. Unfortunately, it isn't signed.
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as we all know there are several examples of these,
I am happy to say, Its a Cenedese example and a good one too,
its not often one of this size appears.
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Oh! I think you are right... it does look like a Bambini. Does the age matter when I try to sell it? I got it as a present in 1958. It's in perfect condition, but no signature or identifying marks. The bottom has a small amount of pitting, and I am not sure if it is wear or how the glass was formed.
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I reckon if you put it into an internet auction with all the info. you have here, your potential buyers are going to know what they are bidding on.
The pitting on the base should be described - with a good picture. Good pictures are important!
We would also be grateful if you would be good enough to mention the GMB as your source of information - the folk who have answered your queries here really do know what they're talking about (I'm not including myself - your title caught my eye and although I don't collect Italian glass myself, I've always had a sneaky love of Cenedese Aquariums!) :thup:
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A member on another forum schooled me a little about these fish. I do agree with the Cenedese attribute but as far as Barbini being the maker, I highly doubt it. A lot of these sites say Barbini for Cenedese but many of them are not by Barbini at all or they are by Barbini when Barbini worked in his own glass house. In this case I believe Cenedese is the glass house but Barbini is not the glass designer or maker. Barbini's fish are more rounded in the body.
All and all, your glass block is very desirable and should fetch a pretty penny. It is a fine example.
tam bam
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Thank you for all your help. I will definitely use this link when I sell this on Ebay. I surfed the web last night and there are examples of fish that look like mine that are attributed to Riccardo Licata also. I read on the Barbini Historical Website that he was a "maker" and they named one of his artists as Gino Cenedese. So maybe that is what this is???
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Oh, dear. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Barbini designed for Cenedese in the late 1940s, but I've not heard of Cenedese designing aquaria for Barbini. IMO, the best way to list it would be simply a Murano aquarium, probably by Cenedese.
Are the aquaria selling well on eBay now? Yours is a nice one.
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I totally agree with Anita on the listing info. I have seen people bid on murano glass on ebay and retract their bid because of wrong info. One time the seller didn't know any better and the bidders still retracted their bids, well all of them except for me. I knew what the piece really was and I bought it pretty cheap. It was a real bargain for me but I know the seller would have been happy with more money in his pocket.
tam bam
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I really appreciate all the information and guidance. I am afraid I am a total newbie to Ebay and need all the help I can get. (In fact I got Video Professor lessons on it!) LOL I have decided to clean out a bunch of antique items that simply have no sentimental value to our kids... I only learned about my aquarium by accident. Since we have always lived in rural ranching areas, our art culture is limited! Another big dilemma I will be facing is how I will be able to deliver it safely.
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If your camera doesn't do close-up, close-up pictures, try to borrow one which does.
Show details of the piece so your potential buyers can see the quality.
As for delivery, it should be wrapped first in tissue paper, then plenty of bubble-wrap - making sure it is completely padded on all six sides. Pack in a sturdy box with stuff to fill the spare spaces - though not too tightly.
Wrap that box in a couple of layers of bubble wrap, then put it into a second box, with space filler.
Yes, it will make a big parcel, yes, postage will be expensive - you'd be best using Special Delivery so that it will be properly insured.
Your potential buyers should all be aware of all these setbacks - and should be happy to accommodate them if they want this piece.
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(...)it would be simply a Murano aquarium, probably by Cenedese.
I agree at 100%.
Acquaria made at that time were normally unsigned. There were (as it is now) a good tournover of master glassmakers from a company to the other or of masters opening their own company, so you never know of who are really the hands who made one piece.
Generally speaking in my experience I saw 2 kind of (good) acquaria: the ones fully made in the furnace (cenedese, Barbini, but also Singoretto now) and the ones with the fish made by lampwork and than enclosed the massive cristal piece in the furnace (Camozzo, S. Toso, etc.).
Obviously the first ones are much better imho...
Ciao
Alex
www.artofvenice.com (http://www.artofvenice.com)