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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Murano & Italy Glass => Topic started by: bidda on October 23, 2006, 06:17:24 PM

Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on October 23, 2006, 06:17:24 PM: Hi, I found another bollicine piece that's (in my opinion) even more lovely than the cranberry one I'd posted earlier... The thing that makes me wonder about this piece is the HOLE that was drilled into the top!?! It was sold as an ashtray (and no mention of the hole was made in the listing *grrr*) but there are no cigarette rests. It's obviously a high quality piece (at least seven layers), very heavy and with a clean line but what purpose could the hole serve? Maybe a metal piece was originally inserted to provide a cigarette rest? Dunno :roll:

Any ideas on the what and why of this piece would be most helpful. Thanks for looking,

Bidda
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/segbol1.jpg
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/segbol2.jpg
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/segbol5.jpg
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: svazzo on October 24, 2006, 12:05:02 AM: Hi Bidda,
I think its because they had attached it to a base, or a stand.
Javier
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on October 24, 2006, 12:08:57 AM: I hadn't thought of that, Javier... but then... how to explain the base that the piece rests upon now (as seen in the first photo)?

Thanks,
Bidda
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Glasshound on October 24, 2006, 12:15:36 AM: Pipe? :D

/Blair
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: svazzo on October 24, 2006, 12:43:58 AM: ah!
Thought the hole was on the base.
Well, maybe Blair is on to something, lol.
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Glasshound on October 24, 2006, 12:58:37 AM: Hmmmm....I thought the hole was drilled on the side...

my mistake! :?

/Blair
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on October 24, 2006, 01:39:09 AM: lol you guys are crazy!

the hole is on the top of the ashtray. my best guess is that, originally, a metal rod fit into the hole with a loop fitting down inside the edge of the bowl and a cigarette rest attached to the bottom of the loop (yes, I have a good imagination). Any thoughts on that theory? Has anyone ever seen a Murano piece with metal cigarette rests?

Thanks,
Bidda

p.s. now I can't get the image of fitting a glass straw into that hole out of my head... what a big pipe you have grandma... sheesh!
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Lily of the Valley on October 24, 2006, 02:51:39 AM: :idea: Perhaps the hole allows the smoke to escape upwards. I have to say though that "the hole" looks to be an afterthought or addition :?: It is strange too that there is no cigarette rest so the pipe suggestion may be it. Is it big enough to hold a small candle or incense cone? Again, the hole would allow some of the heat to escape (or the fragrance). All I can say for sure is that it is real pretty to look at :)

All the best .... Lily
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on October 24, 2006, 03:41:37 AM: thanks, Lily, I think it's rather pretty myself :)
A hole to allow smoke from insense is another idea I hadn't thought of and a good one. I'm just not sure... though I can't remember ever having seen a Murano insense burner and I'm pretty sure this piece is Murano glass. The hole doesn't strike me as an afterthought, but rather, as a purposeful design element due to it's professional execution. It certainly doesn't look like something someone might have done in their garage with their handy dandy drill press.

The bowl is about 3.5" diameter (2.5 diameter of the opening) so it would be plenty big for an insense cone but awefully big for a pipe *grins*.
Thanks,
Bidda :)
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Laura Friedman on October 24, 2006, 05:37:59 PM: There was a wooden stem that came out the side, as it was a novelty pipe shaped ashtray. They pop up quite a bit.

Laura
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Glasshound on October 24, 2006, 05:41:09 PM: I was right!!! :lol:

/Blair
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Glasshound on October 24, 2006, 08:02:59 PM: Check this item out on EBAY...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120045183357

/Blair
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Artofvenice on October 25, 2006, 03:36:06 PM: Electric wire to put a light?

Alex

http://www.artofvenice.com
Title: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on November 07, 2006, 08:30:18 PM: Wow, I didn't realize that those pipe shaped ashtrays were quite so large... of course, there's still no explaination for why it would be sans the cigarette rest? Honestly, I find this piece to be totally puzzling, even with the great suggestions as to its purpose offered so far :) Thanks, everyone, for having a look and taking a shot at it.

Bidda
Title: Re: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on August 25, 2007, 04:21:16 PM: maybe it's an incense burner? the hole is for the smoke to rise? :spls:
Title: Re: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on October 29, 2008, 04:16:43 PM: i finally figured out what this thing is! it's a part of a desk set, the hole was originally fitted with a pen holder and the bowl portion used to hold paper clips or the like.
this exact technique (of the piece originally in question, not the one pictured below) is found in "italian glass century 20", page 74. according to the book it was designed by Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte and "likely executed by Archimede Seguso". (the vase in the book is a 9.25" and is valued at $16-18K :o my piece is under 4" but still...)

i've attached a pic of a similar piece that confirms it's function.

bidda
Title: Re: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: Lustrousstone on October 29, 2008, 06:08:47 PM: Hi your original pictures have gone, could you attach them please. Glad you figured it out though
Title: Re: Why drill a hole in a bowl?
Post by: bidda on October 29, 2008, 07:27:57 PM: goodness! of course. my apologies. must have had them up before we switched servers :)

hee hee. looking back at original post i see that this mystery took me 2 years (nearly to the day) to solve. love dat research.

bidda