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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: danninyelle on November 19, 2012, 02:13:15 PM

Title: Glass Vase with Signature/markings - ID = John Macdonald engraving for Caithness Glass
Post by: danninyelle on November 19, 2012, 02:13:15 PM: Hi

Can anyone help me find out ANYTHING about this vase and it's maker? I've spent hours on the internet to no avail and I hope someone more knowledgeable than I can help. Here is a picture of the vase and a close up of the markings on the base of it.
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: chopin-liszt on November 19, 2012, 02:17:27 PM: Hi and welcome! :)
This looks decidedly like a bit of Caithness glass. The colour is known as neodynum - it's dichroic. In artificial lighting it will be pale lilac, but in daylight it will be a subtle greyish blue.
It apprears to have roses etched around the bottom - the initials on the base will be those of the person who did this, apart from that, I think they read CG (for Caithness glass) 1976
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: Wuff on November 19, 2012, 09:40:18 PM: Looks to me like the Stroma Bud Vase (design code 4033) in Amethyst (one of the available colours) with additional engraving. The attached image is from the 1992 catalogue, but it shows up already in 1988 - which is my earliest Caithness glassware catalogue, so I cannot say when it was first issued.
Height should be 190 mm if the Stroma Bud Vase. There also seems to be a smaller version of only 170 mm (4022).

The Bud Vase is not mentioned in Mark Hill's book (unless I missed it) but (on page 52) Rose Bowl (4071) and Flower Bowl (4035), which in the catalogues also show up under the Stroma range - with production since the 1970ies.
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: Wuff on November 20, 2012, 05:17:06 PM: Quote from: Wuff on November 19, 2012, 09:40:18 PM
The Bud Vase is not mentioned in Mark Hill's book (unless I missed it) ....
Actually - I just realise that I missed it: you have to go to the last pages (110 and 111) for copied catalogue pages 1977 and 1983, including the Stroma range. And on page 112 several engraved items from the Stroma range are depicted (amongst other things), including a Flower Bud Vase.
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: chopin-liszt on November 20, 2012, 05:19:47 PM: I still think the vase in question is neodynum rather than amethyst...
If it changes colour with different light, it's neodynum. If it doesn't, it's amethyst.
Are amethyst vases not normally cased in clear, Wuff?
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: glassobsessed on November 20, 2012, 06:28:42 PM: If it is neodymium (also called alexandrite) the colours will show the other way around, lilac in daylight and incandescent light, blue under a fluorescent light source.

John
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: Wuff on November 21, 2012, 09:36:54 AM: Quote from: chopin-liszt on November 20, 2012, 05:19:47 PM
I still think the vase in question is neodymium rather than amethyst...
This is not a contradiction: "Amethyst" is the name given to the colour by Caithness (and others?) to a 1% Neodymium Oxide glass.
As I wanted to be quite sure before making such a statement here, I had asked Alastair MacIntosh for confirmation - hence the delay in response.
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: chopin-liszt on November 21, 2012, 12:53:28 PM: Thank-you, Wuff! That's my "thing" learned for today. :)
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: Wuff on November 21, 2012, 05:15:19 PM: Helen MacDonald tells me:
Quote
This is a classic Caithness bud vase with a Dog Rose design. The base says JM (John MacDonald) CG, 1976.
Title: Re: Glass Vase with Signature/markings
Post by: danninyelle on November 21, 2012, 05:22:46 PM: Thank you all very much for your help :) I never thought I would find out so much info about this pretty little thing.