Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: chuggy on August 29, 2006, 03:09:11 PM
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Bought a huge Mdina axe vase today at auction. No markings at all, but a real big beastie with lots of lovely purples and browns. Now as this has no markings am I right in thinking it to be an early piece whilst Michael Harris was still at Mdina, or possibly even a Harris piece. I'll post a piccy tomorrow when I've collected the days haul.
Paul
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Called a 'Fish' vase Paul! :wink:
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I know David, but looks more like an axe head to me they must have some very peculiar looking fish in Maltese waters.
Paul
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OK no info so heres a picture of the vase. It stands 11.25 inches high and 10.5 inches across and is about 3 inches thick across its middle. It's a purple sommerso with a pale amber layer outside of that but also has internal opalescent strapping and clear strapping to the outside. So someone please tell me is this a Michael Harris piece? Anyway I reckon it was the bargain of the auction yesterday so I'm a happy bunny.
http://i4.tinypic.com/261klma.jpg <---- Mod: Link dead
Paul
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I've never seen an axe vase quite like that one!
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Me neither it certainly makes a statement and very different from the tourist style Mdina pieces which coupled with no markings makes me wonder if it's a Harris piece.
Paul
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It is a wonderful vase looked at from any criteria.
I didn't think it would go happily in a 2kg box sent airmail to Australia though.... :lol:
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Oh I 'm keeping this one for me, I've never owned one and I think this is a smasher.
Paul
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Good ! but don't drop it on your foot....
btw did you see my question about graal on the Bjorn Stern thread? What is it exactly? I saw the fish graal thread, but thought the graal was the name of the vessel (like Grail I suppose ) From what you are saying about the bowl, I guess it is a type of finish?
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Hi All,
Got to put one or two of you out of your misery. It was NEVER titled an 'Axe' so this is a wrong and inaccurate name. This was a name voiced by a well known personality in a very popular series of books at a time when others simply did not know what it was correctly called. It was simply a description of the way it looked. At the Studio they have always been either 'Fish' vases if they were cased in clear glass(as is this one) or 'Lollipops' if they were not cased (this is not , strickly speaking, Sommerso production either. Check in the definition section of any of the very informative glass books on the market for that method of glass making). The reason for the 'fish' description was that if you turn the original, more rounded shape on it's side it resembles the look of many types of tropical fish. It also resmbles a 'ray' species, albeit standing on it's head ! This particular variation of shape also was not produced by, or during, the time that Mike was at Mdina but more likely after, when Joseph Said ( Mikes first trainee) and the italian Boffo's (father and son from Whitefriars) were having more influence and were changing some of Mike's basic designs. However this general design was certainly the most iconic and recognisable designs to be attributed to Mike and still continues to this day from Tim Harris at I.of W. Studio Glass.
Have a look at our website www.artiusglass.co.uk or wait until the wonderful definative book written by Mark Hill comes out (24th. Sept. at Cambridge Glass Fair) It will save a lot of this conjecture. I think I will have to write a piece which I can just copy and paste ! It will save an awful lot of burning midnight oils writing everthing each time this thread arises!! No we love it actually and we are glad you love this piece. We have had this love affair since I started with Mike and the studio (I.of W.) 25 years ago and still get excited seeing nice examples.
Trust that helps.
Ron & Ann Wheeler
Artius Glass
Officially Appointed Secondary Market Specialists to I. of W. Studio Glass !!
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Many thanks Ron for taking time to put me straight, my new fish and I can live in harmony now that I know it's pedigree. Much like the fish, I was floundering, but now it's got a plaice in my heart.
Paul
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:D :shock: :D
Hello Paul,
I agree it's a beezer, I'm glad you're keeping this for yourself, (next to giving/selling it to me, first refusal bagged!). I'm delighted you've let your heart rule over it!
Hello Ron,
I'm afraid I think you might be in error here, because I have one of these, 12.25 inches tall, 10.5 inches wide, 2.2 inches deep, and it is signed "Michael Harris, Mdina Glass, Malta."
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Hi All,
Well well, just goes to show you can never say never. But in defence I didn't make a definative statement as someone will always come up with the evidence which will prove you wrong, and you did! Well done Sue. Mike clearly did sign items made by his team if requested but I still think you will find that it was the other glass makers who came up with this shape variation. But again of course you can never be sure. Mike always felt morally obliged to sign any pieces when asked by a customer for a signature and as far as we know during his term they were not signed by any of the others. (Go on then somebody come up with an example !! I can live with it - just ! ) So this could have been made by one of the, then fairly skillfull, team towards the end of Mike's term there and he would have felt obliged to sign it. The interesting fact is that this more extreme shape was not produced at the IoW when he moved there but the rounded shapes were (albeit it fairly close in character) so it could be assumed that he did not consider that this was his design but a variation. Does that make sense?? No ? Go on then prove me wrong again and I'll go away and forever hold my peace ???!!??!!!!
Is this going to run ?? I don't think I will live that long !!
Ron & Ann
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did you see my question about graal on the Bjorn Stern thread? What is it exactly?
Do a search on Graal, there are threads, mostly in archive forum with lots of details.
http://www.scotlandsglass.com/People/LindeanMill.htm <---- Mod: Dead link
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Thanks Frank, will do.
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I have just been and read the Hoglund details on their web site. So now I understand that the decoration is inside the glass. Wouls I be correct in thinking that those wonderful vases by Lindstrand with the threads in are made using the Graal technique?
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Hi there,
Firstly -- FAB Fish Vase :-D
As Ron says, your vase is from the period after Michael Harris left Malta, in my opinion.
Three quick points:
The more squared off shape with near-horizontal clear 'wings' is the most obvious feature that indicates this. Earlier examples tended to be more rounded in form, as Ron says. However, in the very early days, a shape with heavier, more angular 'wings' was produced. This angular form was continued after he left, but the colours are different and the general weight and the precise shape is different. Early examples also tend to be quite small, perhaps due to the weight of the wings. I'd love to see your signed example in this shape Sue, have you got a pic you can post? It's a new one on me...are the wings angled at all? How exciting!
The precise modelling of this vase, particularly around the base, also indicates a later date to me. I've seen this sort of shape on some of the 110% later pink/blue/white examples.
The browny amethyst tinted colour also tends to be post-Harris -- in this tone. Amethyst purple and a browny purple were used in the very, very early days of the studio, but the colour is quite different, being typically darker and stronger where it does appear.
This probably just confuses matters (not my intention!), but I just thought I'd post something. Still, a cool thing I'd be happy to give shelf room to - good find!
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com
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:D :D :D
I'm still camerally challenged, but I've managed to blow up part of an old photograph with my signed fish in the middle of an amethyst shelf.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/chopin-liszt/aaaaaaxe.jpg <---- Mod: Link dead
I'm getting confused about different amethysts, though, Mark! I do know the later, very purple one, such as is used in the black and silver pattern, there's the one in the two tone ( 8) !) pieces and there's the browny auberginey shade. This fish is a bit auberginey, but it's hard to tell because there is yellow over a good bit of it! It is paler than a quite small one I have that is amethyst and clear (with the clear inside the vase, amethyst outside - not as fully amethyst as your tiny one, Mark, and not as tiny :mrgreen:)
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:? :? :?
The shape is not the same as Paul's, is it!
Mine's much more rounded. I can see I am going to have to add a protractor to the collection of dust bunnies, loups, UV keyrings, reciepts, pens, rubber bands, safety pins and sublimating rhubarb and custard sweeties in the depths of my handbag.
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Sue, you forgot the torch and the tape measure....
(checking the contents of her handbag for any other essentials....)
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:lol::wink::lol:
UV pen doubles up as a torch (when desperate enough). My hand span is exactly 7.5 inches. I used to work in labs, and I'm quite good at estimating sizes to .25 inches accuracy, on big items, but I can do to 2 millimetres accuracy as well, for small things.
But you're right. I do need a tape measure. Like scissors, tweezers and nail files, I have thousands upon thousands (nearly!) of them and cannot lay my hands on any of them!