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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: Anonymous on October 11, 2005, 03:46:09 PM

Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Anonymous on October 11, 2005, 03:46:09 PM
Hi I'm new here as well as in Venetian paperweight collecting.

I have been to Venice about 7 times and usually was not tempted by those paperweights but my taste has maybe changed and one day I find this 3 Firori paperweight at a shop in Murano and bought it. I think I liked it because I found it sort or oriental looking, Japanese kimono motif, etc.  That was last February.

In May when I travelled there again, having learned that 3 fiori ceased its production, I was skeptical to find its variant models and indeed I found very few in Murano (still found one I liked just before leaving the island for maybe 30 % higher price than the 1st one.) Then surprise, a shop near a Rialto had plenty of them and another shop nearby the train station, at approximately the original price I paid. I bought then many more pieces than I thought I would. I was on a solo low budget travel and these weights costed me much more than the trip (train-hotel). I kept saying to myself I could keep some of them to myself and make a gift of others for my friends at important occasions (e.g.my best friends will be celebrating their 10-year anniversary next year.).

Here are half of what I bought.
http://tinypic.com/ehyjq0.jpg
Except for 2 square Ragazzi ones, all are 3Fiori.

The following "flower basket" modes are what I like especially. The first one ever I bought was of this type.
http://tinypic.com/ehyr21.jpg

Question:
You see mille fiori and golden lines. The golden lines look like of copper but the Venetian shop owner at Rilalto told me this is of some sort of grounded stone. He gave the name of the stone but I lost the note. Does anyone have any idea? The name could start with A or E but I'm not sure. Otherwise, I will go ask him next December when I will be there.

They are about 10 cm by diameteres.
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Leni on October 11, 2005, 04:55:17 PM
Very nice!  :D I think you did very well, there!   :shock:  These weights can only go up in value, now that 3Fiori is sadly gone  :(

I envy your lucky friends who will be getting such wonderful presents!   :roll:

Could the word you're looking for be Aventurine?

Leni
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: hike on October 12, 2005, 07:32:11 AM
Thank you for your reply, Leni.

Aventurine? Could well be it. Sounds a bit familiar. The shop owner might have said that word or called it a slightly diffrent Italian way. OK, I will visit the shop and ask him again to be sure.

Thanks, again.
Title: italian beauties
Post by: EstlinClichy on October 18, 2005, 12:35:09 PM
Very nice gathering of Murano weights. The word you're looking for is aventurine.
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Frank on October 19, 2005, 08:50:55 AM
There is a mineral (rock) aventurine which is a quartz and mostly green, the glitter coming from mica.

Aventurine Glass is not made from this rock but from glass and copper salts, the name of the rock form was taken from the glass which was discovered in Italy in the 16th century. Colours other than gold are gotten from other metal salts.
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Anonymous on October 19, 2005, 09:28:53 AM
Hi Frank thanks for your reply. And an interesting observation. One shop owner said aventurine (now I think that's the word.) is a sort of ground stone but there WAS another who mentioned copper. So you say mines are "glass and copper salts" but not the ground aventurine stone?
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Anne on October 19, 2005, 12:53:34 PM
Quote from: "Anonymous"
Funny, my profile did not show up. Hike and Guest are the same person.


This board has a rather puzzling quirk that it randomly logs out users so posts appear as if from a Guest. Sometimes you have to log in more than once for the login to stick, but even then a post can show as Guest. We do not know why this happens  it is just one of the peculiarities we have to live with I'm afraid.  :roll:
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Frank on October 19, 2005, 01:00:40 PM
Quote from: "Anonymous"
So you say mine are "glass and copper salts" but not the ground aventurine stone?


Yes.

If you were to grind the stone up the result in glass would be nothing like aventurine, if you did not grind too finely so that some of the Mica stays intact it would show up as silver flecks/spots.
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Hike/Guest on October 19, 2005, 01:36:53 PM
Frank, thanks for another reply regarding aventurine.

Anne, thanks for the explanation. I can certainly live with that although it may be sometimes confusing to identify if there are more than one posters shown as Guest. I guess I should sign at the end of each post.

Hike/GVA
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: hike on October 20, 2005, 09:19:38 AM
Just trying to see if I'm logged in.
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: hike on October 26, 2005, 02:10:57 PM
A few other 3Fiori paperweights from my last trips to Venice and Murano. The first two are very oriental, remids me of the words, Japanese, kimono, etc.

http://tinypic.com/f0qgqu.jpg
(Both big and small reds bought at the same shop)

http://tinypic.com/f0qgzq.jpg
(Small green bought with the two reds above but the big green one was found at another shop a few doors away. So this makes two pairs.)

http://tinypic.com/f0qhza.jpg
Title: 3 Fiori
Post by: Jackie on December 18, 2005, 05:51:50 PM
Hi - I am very late posting a comment on your posting!! Pressure of day job I am afraid.  It is interesting to see your 3 Fiori purchases. Yes the "avventurine" (Italian spelling) is fascinating.  Initially it seemed to be all copper coloured, but in their last production line 3 Fiori were experimenting with all different collours of avventurine  - see Aventurine Scramble on my website.  It is so sad that 3 Fiori has ceased production.  I too like that particular design - called Settori. They made those on contract for Bucella Cristalli too, who sold them under their own label.  I bought quite a few variations of that Settori type - but they were never popular on my tradestands - too big I think.  Most of them went to America.

When I went to Venice in February I could find very few 3 Fiori weights left in the shops, and those that I found were selling at more than I sell them for on my website - so certainly not worth buying!

Sorry, could go on for a long time about 3 Fiori
Jackie
www.muranopaperweights.co.uk
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: hike on December 19, 2005, 04:15:21 PM
Hi Jackie,

I came back from my another trip to Venice 1-4 Dec. This time I found few paperweights that inetrested me. maybe I was not looking in the right places or there are actually less and less 3Fiori's in the market. I did see more than a few 3Fiori's occasionally but those were not the types I was interested in. I just bought a variant of "flower basket" type, like those I posted at the beginning of this thread. I saw it in the windonw of a shop in Dorsoduro. It was not even a special glass shop but was a tabacco shop. The condition of the weight looked ok and the price was just as what I paid before so I took it.

This time actually I was hoping to find nice weights of the sort with lots of whitish elements, what it is called? I'm sure they told me more than a few times at various shops in Venice and in Murano but I keep forgetting. See the last photo I posted above? Those fine half white/half transparent maccaroni like parts? Anyway, I did not see any of that sort that interested me.

I saw inside a shop between Rilalto and Coin department store, a cellection of some huge 3Fiori weights. They were like 20cm by diameter and some of them were my "flower basket" type. They were just too huge and almost monstrous, just not nice as small ones so buying them never crossed my mind (besides the name tags said €1300 - 2000). The owner appeared and sounded glad to know I posessed many smaller (normal)versions of those weights. He said he used to design for 3Fiori and those unusually huge ones in his shops were made for special collections and for  exhibitions/fairs. I left the shop happy with those informations he gave me.  

What is Settori like? Can you post some photos? Oh, I can take a look in your site too.
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: KevinH on December 19, 2005, 08:08:20 PM
Hike asked about parts in paperweights consisting of
Quote
... lots of whitish elements ... Those fine half white/half transparent maccaroni like parts ...
That would be Filigrana, which covers both the white and the coloured versions.

However, some (or many?) folk refer to the version with only white threads as Filigree and only use "Filgrana" for the type with coloured threads!

Also, there are probably still folk around who would call these threaded lengths either "Latticino" or "Latticinio", but I think these terms really apply only to the overall working of such elements in Vases etc. According to the Corning Museum of Glass, these two terms are now obsolete. See:
http://www.cmog.org/index.asp?pageId=687&mnu=5&mid=mi87

When used as a background or main design feature in paperweights, filigrana is often simply called "lace", as in, "... set on a lace ground ...".
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: Leni on December 19, 2005, 08:54:14 PM
Quote from: "KevH"
When used as a background or main design feature in paperweights, filigrana is often simply called "lace", as in, "... set on a lace ground ...".

When is it called 'upset muslin', Kevin?   :shock:  :?  When it's all broken into pieces?  What's it called when it's laid out in a criss-cross pattern?  

Just when I think I've grasped something, I find there's something else I didn't know or had got wrong!   :shock:  :(  :oops:  :wink:
Title: 3 Fiori
Post by: Jackie on December 19, 2005, 09:53:35 PM
Hello Hike

Yes I know that shop and those huge weights - they have been there for a long time.  I find them far too big to be attractive - and a ridiculous price!

I think the type of cane you are asking about is the latticinio - milky white lacy strips twisted together.  Latticini means made from milk.

I had 2 lovely Settori weights called Settori Filigree - which were the checkerboard design you like but instead of aventurine strips they used the latticinio canes ( which they called filigree). I may have a photo on disc somewhere. If I can find it I will post it on here.

It is good to talk to a fellow 3 Fiori enthusiast!

Jackie
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: aa on December 20, 2005, 10:41:52 AM
I was interested in Kevin's comment that according to Corning Museum of Glass the term latticino is now obsolete.

They say "Latticino, latticinio (from Italian latte, "milk")
A term formerly used to describe filigrana glass. It has now been abandoned. "

I am not sure what this means. Abandoned by whom? The Corning Museum  of Glass? Was this by decree and if so when was it published?!!

Seems to me language doesn't change quite like that.  :D
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: hike on December 20, 2005, 11:03:26 AM
Filigrana, that's it! Thanks KevH! I knew   :oops:  it was fil - something (fil > meaning thread, in French) All the Venitian shop keepers referred to the thing in question as Filigrana. Latticino, I don't remember anybody metioned, if they did, my head did not register thât word. Well even with filigrana, I needed help from you guys to get the correct word so you never know. Filgrana and Latticino, I'm happy to know those words with different nuances.

Jackie, you recognized the shop ! That's nice to know. Actually it looked to me more like a toy or model figure shop. I entered your site but could not see which were Settori. By the way I had been to your site before. About 1 year ago and that's where I learned the end of 3Fiori .
Title: 3 fiori paperweights.
Post by: KevinH on December 21, 2005, 02:18:30 AM
Leni raised a couple of good questions:
Quote
When is it called 'upset muslin'? When it's all broken into pieces?
Actually, I think some of the terms used are interchangeable, so "lace" could possibly be also called "muslin" although the latter is usually of a much finer appearance and is "greyer looking" in antique French weights. "Upset muslin" looks like a mix bed of scrambled lengths and might also be called "tossed muslin".

Quote
What's it called when it's laid out in a criss-cross pattern?
Might be just "patterened" or perhaps "chequer board".

These terms seem to be just attempts to describe the look of the filigrana (or filigree, or latticino) as set in the weight. I don't know whether the terms (or equivalents) were used by the makers, but early sales catalogues such as 1950s Sotheby's certainly used many variations in their descriptions including "latticino", "white threads", "upset muslin", "chequer" etc.

[Maybe I could browse my books and catalogues to see how many different terms have been used and if there is a general consensus on any? Might be a way of filling in time during the lousy TV schedules over the next week or so. :D ]

And in relation to the obsolescence stated by CMG, Adam A added,
Quote
Abandoned by whom? The Corning Museum of Glass? Was this by decree and if so when was it published?!!
Yeah, I wondered that too. Maybe it was at about the same time that "lampworkers" became "torchworkers" in the US?????