Glass Message Board

Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: glasswizard on October 31, 2005, 10:32:03 AM

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: glasswizard on October 31, 2005, 10:32:03 AM

Since Peter (Paradisetrader) introduced me to Mdina and the glass from Malta I have kept an eye open. I attended an auction this past weekend and was very surprised by this whale.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y283/Muscadale/?action=view&current=TMaltawhale.jpg

My first thought was surely chinese and then I turned it over.

http://photobucket.com/albums/y283/Muscadale/?action=view&current=TLableonMaltawhale.jpg

Anyone have any ideas on maker or date for this very interesting whale. Terry

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: David E on October 31, 2005, 04:47:48 PM

Phoenician Glass? Isn't there a maker called Gozo as well - I know it's the name of a town on Malta.

I've just posted a link on the official Mtarfa link that lists a few animals that might be of interest:

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,2986.0.html

[edit - yes there is a Gozo glassmaker in Malta - Ivo's book reveals all]

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: Frank on October 31, 2005, 06:03:34 PM

Note the label clearly state Malta Decorative Glass and has the same initials around the Maltese cross MDG.

It says hand made but not in Malta so it could be a retailer importing glass, can someone check the Maltese phone book?

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: paradisetrader on November 03, 2005, 10:02:02 AM

There is indeed a Malta Decorative Glass Co. Ltd. registered in Malta as of 2000/1 according to the Maltese National Audit office but that doesn't get us very far.
Its most likely the formal company name for one of the makers we already know about .....but which one ?
I have emailed the Malta Dept of Inormation

Unhelpful reply from Malta Dept of Inormation.....it seems they haven't got any !! Just a ref to another Malta Gov't Dept.

So... I eventually found the Malta Yellow Pages and listed under glassblowers were:
Gozo Glass Ltd
Mdina Glass Ltd,
Mtarfa Glassblowers Ltd
Phoenician Glassblowers Ltd

So Malta Decorative Glass Co. Ltd would seem to be a different outfit from all of these and, it would seem, no longer trading.

Further reading of the Malta National Audit Office report 2000 reveals that the company was undergoing liquidation procedures at that time. Operations may have ceased some years previously.

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: chopin-liszt on November 03, 2005, 10:25:34 AM

:D :D :D
Hello, Have a look at the page from the Glass Cone on Mdina that Patrick Hogan put up for me in the thread on the Boffo penguin. (Scroll down a bit for the Mdina article, there's a mention of Malta Decorative Arts at the bottom - it would appear to be a Chinese venture.)

http://www.historyofglass.org.uk/glassnews/glass%20news13b.htm

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: paradisetrader on November 03, 2005, 10:44:02 AM

I'm sure it's ok to quote it to save looking it up every time eventhough the whole (short) article is a very interesting read.

Quote

Malta Decorative Glass Co. The glass factory only proved to be a show place. Mr Boffo was seconded to work there and train boys or leave Malta and he worked for the government for as long as it survived. It was the end of his glass-making days – very sad.

Article A brief history of M’dina & some other contemporaneous Maltese art glass firms
by Michael Thomas Vaughan in
Glass news #13 June 2003
Published by THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS LIMITED
www.historyofglass.org.uk
based on information received from Mrs Elizabeth Harris, Director of Isle of Wight Glass

Title: Malta Whale
Post by: glasswizard on November 03, 2005, 08:50:12 PM

Thank you Sue for that wonderful link. Of course we can blame Peter for all this, he did teach me about Mdina and Maltese glass,  but I do have a nice collection of Mdina and one piece of Gozo and now the Whale which seems to fit in with the history of glass on Malta. It will be interesting if we can discover the exact years for it. Of course what is confusing to me is the Boffo connection and of course the fact that in my opening post I said that on first sight I thought Chinese and apparently there is a chinese connection. Ah confusion  Terry

Title: Re: Malta Whale
Post by: Carolyn Preston on October 04, 2010, 02:20:25 AM

But there are no pictures. I wanna see the whale ?!?

Carolyn

Title: Re: Malta Whale
Post by: Lustrousstone on October 04, 2010, 06:27:55 AM

Terry is no longer with us Carolyn, so unless Peter has retained a copy, you won't get to see the whale.

Title: Re: Malta Whale
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 04, 2010, 10:50:22 AM

I've asked about it, and I'm sure there is an image somewhere. It will be tracked down, but I'm not up to it right now - a tad Conferenced out!

Title: Re: Malta Whale
Post by: Anne on October 04, 2010, 04:32:28 PM

Pete has said he will add pics later.

Title: Re: Malta Whale
Post by: Carolyn Preston on October 05, 2010, 01:25:36 AM

Yippeeee, I get to see whales  :rah: :rah: :rah:

Carolyn

Title: Re: Malta Whale
Post by: paradisetrader on March 19, 2012, 02:01:42 PM

Terrys pics of the whale + label