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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: jeanne on July 10, 2011, 11:47:00 AM

Title: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase. ID=Ivor Abrahams
Post by: jeanne on July 10, 2011, 11:47:00 AM
Hell
This is post no. 2 today.
This vase has a signature on the base which we cannot identify. The name seems to end in RA which would indicate a Royal Academician. We have hunted through the RA's lists on names beginning with M, engravers and people with first names beginning with I. No luck. Are we completely misreading the signature? Does RA also mean something else? Is it a spurious attribution? The piece seems to have the title 'seasons' below the signature.
Diameter 3.25 ins. Height 11.5 ins.
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: ahremck on July 10, 2011, 12:25:50 PM
I think you may be on the right track re RA.  The engraving is of a nude woman's back with her facing away from you, her left arm raised but the hand not completed, and her kneeling but not "floor" shown either.   A rather unusual way to represent a nude - but perhaps intended as a deliberately different medium.

Ross
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: scimiman on July 10, 2011, 12:34:32 PM
Hi.
Its difficult to tell from the pictures but some parts of the nude look acid etched rather than engraved.
Mike www.abfabglass.co.uk
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: Lustrousstone on July 10, 2011, 01:33:53 PM
The first name seems to me to be Ivor
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: flying free on July 10, 2011, 01:56:22 PM
I think the nude is striking a pose, one leg kneeling the other stretched out behind and with one hand on the hip and the other reaching skyward.  My first thoughts were either a dancer, gymnast or someone singing, finishing their song on a high with the bent arm holding the mike (mike unseen) if you see what I mean ( :-[ or perhaps it's just my vivid imagination)

The last bit of the name seems to end in davis - I did think maybe Iestyn Davis but it clearly isn't.  Maybe Ivon Abrahams?  I'll have a mooch around and see if I can spot anything.
m
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: Max on July 10, 2011, 02:02:36 PM
The Royal Academy often has vases designed by artists.  Perhaps this one is by Ivor Abrahams?

Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: flying free on July 10, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
yes I think this might be Ivor Abrahams
link here
http://www.ivorabrahams.com/ivor_bio.html

m
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: ahremck on July 10, 2011, 02:24:31 PM
I agree it is highly likely to be him - perhaps playing around with a Dremel.  I seems art schools encourage artists to try out all sorts of mediums.  For instance my aunt - a world class botanical watercolour painter - produced oils (I have three) and pottery pieces(I have two).  So it seems entirely likely that Ivor had a go at glass engraving - although I doubt he blew the vase!

Ross
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: Lustrousstone on July 10, 2011, 02:36:54 PM
Email him, there seems to be a contact form
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: scimiman on July 10, 2011, 02:55:49 PM
Check out his bathers prints and I think you have cracked it.
Mike www.abfabglass.co.uk
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: Lustrousstone on July 10, 2011, 03:02:07 PM
The dates fit; he didn't join the RA until 1989.
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: flying free on July 10, 2011, 03:18:24 PM
these are some of his sculptures

http://www.ivorabrahams.com/ivor_sculpt_gymnasts.html

m
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: jeanne on July 10, 2011, 04:59:57 PM
Thank you all. I have emailed Him and wait to see what happens. Will let you know. Thanks
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: jeanne on July 10, 2011, 05:17:52 PM
Hello
At the moment emails to the contact address on the website are being rejected both with and without pictures.
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: jeanne on July 10, 2011, 05:29:10 PM
Am going to try through the RA
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase.
Post by: jeanne on August 04, 2011, 09:18:35 PM
Hello
Thought you might like to know what we have found out so far.
Through the RA we contacted the gallery in London that represents Ivor Abrahams. They forwarded our query and he replied to us saying that it was indeed his; it had been produced in association with RA Enterprises. The RA Enterprises buyer has managed a little information and is working on a bit more. It was produced before she came to the RA. It was in their 1994 catalogue, is called a 'Seasons Vase'. It sold then for £39.95. She says that pieces of a similar provenance now would be around £200. If she manages to find out more on the production process I will let you know.
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase. ID=Ivor Abrahams
Post by: nigel benson on August 05, 2011, 06:41:18 PM

I've been watching this for a while....I believe that you will eventually trace the blank to Nazeing Glass Works. Send them an email ;)

Nigel
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase. ID=Ivor Abrahams
Post by: nigel benson on August 08, 2011, 11:20:12 PM
Hi,

I've just rescued the one I bought some years ago. It also has a mark on the side below the images, which says "Ann Christopher", and below in the same block, (c) 1994 . Just to make sure there's no confusion - it's also marked indistictly on the base "Ivor Abrahams" with "Seasons" below, as yours Jeanne.

Nigel
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase. ID=Ivor Abrahams
Post by: jeanne on August 09, 2011, 09:32:11 PM
That is interesting. Our vase has no other names, only the signature on the base. I see that Ann Christopher is also an RA Sculpter as is Ivor Abrahams. I await further info from the RA: the buyer was to contact a glass designer that she thought might have been the one to do the work. I shall pass this information on to her. Thanks again
Jeanne
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase. ID=Ivor Abrahams
Post by: jeanne on August 16, 2011, 09:32:04 PM
Well I took up the suggestion of emailing Nazeing glass works and today received this reply!

Hi Jeanne,
I can confirm that the glass vase was made by us for the Royal Academy of Arts, using a design by Ivor Abrahams RA, on e of 4 RA artists we wroked with
in the 1990's.
I was in charge of Sales then, and negotiated the contract and met Ivor. I even have a signed copy of his book of this period. 
His dancing figures were bold and strong, and he did some sketches that we sand blast engraved on the vases.
 
As to value now, I have no idea. I can try and dig out the RA file from our archives and see what they were selling for then, about £39-£45 each, I should think,
and we engraved 25-50 I guess, so there are not too many around.
 
I would offer £25 plus postage costs for our Museum,but you could try to offer it at £37.50 and see if someone wants it at that price.
 
I hope this helps.
Regards,
  Stephen Pollock-Hill
Managing Director.

How exciting is that? We will send pic. of it to our friendly auction house and see what they think of the value and the best way to sell it. Any thoughts from members will be useful.
Title: Re: Id please. Signed tall blue glass engraved cylindrical vase. ID=Ivor Abrahams
Post by: nigel benson on September 04, 2011, 07:49:26 PM

How did I know that the glass was by Nazeing? 'Cos I bought my version from their own factory shop a few years ago!!! From memory it was £12.00........but from what you say they haven't kept one for their records :o I'm really surprised.

By the way I think that Nazeing should be added to the header since they were the makers of the glass.

Good that you now have all the info Jeanne ;) :)

Kind wishes, Nigel