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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: lyndhurst44 on February 25, 2006, 06:30:43 PM

Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on February 25, 2006, 06:30:43 PM
Hi everyone.
I purchased this lovely paperweight from a charity shop today but have no idea who might have created it. It would seem to be a limited edition piece as there are the numbers 137 over 195 on the base but no makers name. please take a look.
http://i1.tinypic.com/oiylop.jpg
http://i1.tinypic.com/oiyob7.jpg
Cheers,
Bryn (not Brian)
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 25, 2006, 06:56:20 PM
caithness
Title: Advice please
Post by: Max on February 25, 2006, 07:29:47 PM
Hi Bryn

I like your new paperweight addition...but I wonder what all the different aspects in it symbolise?  Maybe someone can tell you the title of this piece soon.   :)
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 25, 2006, 07:33:26 PM
it looks like a letter A
Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on February 25, 2006, 07:40:20 PM
Hi Max,
I actually thought it looked like a Y, like a plant with red roots, so my my shop instinct was Ysart but Ray tells me it is Caithness. I really love it, I think I will try and collect more now, espetially millefiore :D
Bryn
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 25, 2006, 07:49:28 PM
Bryn are the thistle leaves aventurine? it does look like a Y but the weight is up side down
Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on February 25, 2006, 08:02:03 PM
Hi Ray,
You are sooo right, what a prat, sometimes the heart does rule the head as the ladies say :oops:
The thistle leaves actually sparkle like jewels so would that rule out adventurine which may be dull in appearence do you think.
I am not sure as I am not actually aquainted with this crystal.
Cheers,
Bryn
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 25, 2006, 08:24:28 PM
If it sparkle's it's green aventurine, , can't you tell I've misplaced my glasses, could be Scotia weight by William Manson for Arden Hill Ltd
Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on February 25, 2006, 09:29:25 PM
Hi Ray,
Is that good news :shock: I did pay £15 for the weight but as I said previously it seemed to ooze quality and I just couldn't resist. I am usually a little more conservative with my speculations :!:  :!:
I have certainly heard the name Manson in respect of quality paperweights and would be delighted if it turned out to be one of his :D
Cheers,
Bryn (not Brian)
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 25, 2006, 11:39:18 PM
£15 you've been robbed i'll give you £10 for it :wink:
Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on February 26, 2006, 08:37:18 AM
Good Morning,
Na, I think I'll hang onto it for a while and hope for an upturn in the market :twisted:  :twisted:  :wink:  :lol:
I've scoured all the Caithness, Manson and any Scottish paperweight sites I can point my little mouse at and still can't  find the little bleeder. Found some of the Scotia weights but not this one Ray. :evil:
Bryn (not Brian)
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 26, 2006, 10:42:15 AM
A for Arden Hill?
Title: Advice please
Post by: ALLAN on February 26, 2006, 10:49:48 AM
Hi Bryn,
           Ray is right it was made at Caithness and also it was made by William manson.He was working with Caithness back in the 80s when I joined them.He had an arrangement to make lampwork/millefiori weights and Caithness would market them.The weight is actually photographed upside down,it was to represent a burning scottish castle if I remember correctly.I will try and track down the exact name of it for you but it was so long ago I don't know if anyone will remember.I sometimes bump into Willie in town so if I remember I will ask him directly.
                                 Allan
Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on February 26, 2006, 11:14:39 AM
Wow! :D Thanks excellent and exciting news Allan.
That's a very nice offer to actually speak with the creater himself, it really gives me goosebumps. Fantastic, thank you so much.
Kindest regards,
Bryn (not Brian)
Title: Advice please
Post by: RAY on February 26, 2006, 05:15:02 PM
Allan what's the story with willy , did he make the weights in caithness for Arden hill scotia or somewhere else, as far as i know all scotia weights were unsigned and a lot contained green aventurine
Title: Advice please
Post by: KevinH on February 27, 2006, 03:23:53 PM
Just for a bit of extra info:

I cannot find this weight in the Charlton Catalogue of Caithness Paperweights (2nd edition, with items up to 2004). But we already know that some weights were not included in the catalogue for some (unknown) reasons.

The outer ring of canes are definitely Caithness canes, although the same cane can be seen in Edinburgh Crystal paperweights (which were made by Caithness) and also in John Deacon's weights, especially his former "St Kilda" line. This latter point is not surprising, since John told me that at one stage he was contracted to pull canes for Caithness.

(If this weight was an Edinburgh item, it would have had an "E" cane somewhere in the design.)

As Allan has said, Willie Manson worked as a designer / maker at Caithness. [Up until 1970, he was at Caithness but only as an apprentice and went with Paul Ysart at the start of Paul's own venture at Harland.]  My understanding from the books is that Willie's later Caithness activity started in 1974 but his first designs ("Millefiori Reflections" & "Latticino") were 1976 weights. His last design in that period was in 1979. A second period at Caithness started in 1981 and ended in 1991.

From 1979 to 1980, William Manson Paperweights operated, and the lower-priced weights were marketed as the "Scotia" range. As far as I am aware, the canes in the outer row of the "burning castle" weight were never used by Willie Manson during his independent period.
Title: Advice please
Post by: ALLAN on February 28, 2006, 08:06:22 PM
I am afraid I did not have much luck at Caithness about the "castle" weight.The only idea that came up was that it was a "special" edition for a specific company or event.This would also explain why it was not put in the Charlton book.Kev, as always,is correct with his Willie info.These weights were made at caithness after Willies return in 1981,this was when he had the deal with Caithness to market his weights and he also designed some for them as well I believe.I think this small mystery will have to wait till the man himself gives us the story.Colin Terris would have been the only other person to  tell us but sadly that will not happen now.
                Allan
Title: Advice please
Post by: lyndhurst44 on March 01, 2006, 06:47:27 PM
Thanks, everyone for your help. If anyone does find out any more info it would be really appreciated. I'm like a dog with a bone now!!!
Sorry if I've been a bit slow in responding but for some reason I am no longer getting Email notifications from the board. :?
One thing though I wondered if the odd number Limited Edition of 175 on this piece is unusual for Caithness, I thought these came in round numbers eg 50, 100, 500. 750 etc.
Cheers,
Bryn (not Brian)