Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Murano & Italy Glass => Topic started by: glasswizard on April 28, 2005, 07:34:15 AM
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Pictured here are two pieces I recieved as Christmas gifts
http://tinypic.com/4r9m55 A friend suggested they reminded him of Ronald Stennett-Wilson designs. Living in the middle of the United States and learning that Stennett-Wilson was English I thought maybe someone would have more info. Thanks Terry
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:D Hi Terry, The green piece looks very like a "Brancaster" candlestick with a lid added, also like a fruit bowl (but with a lid added) by Stennet-Wilson, both pictured on p.267 of Miller's Collectables Guide 2004. There's a different candlestick on p.311 of the 2005 Guide that looks a similar colour. I can see where your friend was coming from. Cheers, Sue.
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Hi Terry,
Does the green tall stemmed piece have a hollow stem?
Nigel
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Nigel, The stem on the green pc. is solid, not hollow. Terry
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Terry,
Then it is almost certainly NOT a piece by Stennett-Willson, since the stem should be hollow. Furthermore, I do not recognise the brown colouring of the other piece as from any of the Stennett-Willson ranges.
The search continues...........................
Nigel
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I didn't like to add a comment, because I can't add anything useful :oops: ...but can I say I love the green piece especially? There's almost something space-age-retro about it, the way it hovers on it's thin stem - surely it's a 70's piece?
Whatever. I think it's pretty classy. :D :D
Max <~~loving the 60's/70's look!
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Definately 70s - fashion for both the lime green and the chocolate brown came to an abrupt end in the late 70s.
The "turned wood" style of the knob on the brown piece is strange and looks kind out of place in an otherwise modern style. A similar style can be seen on a blue tazza ref RSW52 on page 22 of the King's Lynn 2004 exhibition catalogue.That piece has a central bauble.
I like the uncompromising straight sided form. The lids too look distinctive.
Terry have you exhausted exquiries as to possible US manufacture ?
Do I dectect a thin line in the green stem ? Could that be hollow ? or just a trick of the light ? Were these thin stemmed forms widely copied Nigel ?
I have a piece that looks superficially like a simpler form of RSWs wide bowl candlestick.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/avalonsmile/Sell%20Avalon/P3199052.jpg
Did these also have hollow stems ?
Looking closely at mine holding it length ways the very centre is clear ...so I guess that means it is !
But does that mean mine is RSW ? Wedgewood ?
Can anyone recommend a book on Wuidart, Lymmington, King's Lynn, Wedgewood RSW ?
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I've had a lovely afternoon rooting through books :D , and found some Morgantown candlesticks and a compote that are similar with their flat sides and buckety looks. Could Morgantown be a possibility? :) :?
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Thanks to you all for your input. I have one book on Morgantown and that is a possiblity. As Nigel put it, "The search continues." Terry
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The "turned wood" style of the knob on the brown piece is strange and looks kind out of place in an otherwise modern style. A similar style can be seen on a blue tazza ref RSW52 on page 22 of the King's Lynn 2004 exhibition catalogue.That piece has a central bauble.
The bauble (knop) that you mention from the stemmed fruit bowl is hollow. The finials on both Terry's pieces seem to be solid and to my mind are too 'mean' (or small scale) to be by RSW. With the other contrary features (wrong colour/ lids/ solid stem) it suggests that perhaps the intial thought about RSW might be wrong.
Currently there is no one book on the subject of Wuidart, Leamington, Kings Lynn, Wedgwood, RSW. Oh, by the way two "N's", two "T's" and two "L's" in Ronald Stennett-Willson. I had to be told, so I thought I'd flag that one up. :)
The exhibition catalogue " Ronald Stennett-Willson, Glass Design 1954 - 1980" is the only publication that gives a representative history with photos. There is information in Sally Tobin's book "Wedgwood Glass" Tobin, 2001, in Ronald Stennett-Willson's "Modern Glass", Studio Vista, London 1975 and in "20th Century Factory Glass", Lesley Jackson, Mitchell Beazley, London 2000.
Nigel
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An update is in order. Yes Peter I have now exhausted all my resources on an American Manufacturer. They just don't look "right" for Morgantown to me and I am leaning toward the possibility that they are Italian. I have other pieces that I am almost certain are Italian from the 70s with the same sort of thin solid stem. One in particular comes to mind in yellow glass and if I can find the pic will post it here. Thanks Terry.
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Thank you Nigel for your thoughts on Terry's items and for the book refs.
Any about my candle holder ?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/avalonsmile/Sell%20Avalon/P3199052.jpg
The exhibition catalogue you mention and which I referred to in my last post is pretty slim ...with v few photos !!! There's no explanation with the pics. Some colors look v diffuse but I can't tell if the glass is frosted / satin or not. No satin candle holders are shown.
I looked up Kings Lynn in Factory Glass but learned nothing new. I guess I should get the Tobin book ....(Not available on Amazon) but all I have so far, for sure is one paperweight and the few items I like in the catalogue, I've never seen for sale and doubt if I could afford them anyway.
I have also looked up all the refs to RSW and Wedgewood in your book and re- read the article at http://www.glassencyclopedia.com/Wedgwoodglass.html. I've also done internet image searches on various combinations of RSW, Wedgewood,
King's Lynn etc.
One ref in my searches baffles me. On your website at http://www.20thcentury-glass.com/glass/english/powell/powell-intro.htm?id=2 this ref "Henry Dunn-Cooke who ran the firm of Elferson, which acted as importers of Wuidart"
I was under the impression that Wuidart were importers themselves ....... ?
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There is such a lack of information on Ronald Stennett-Willson - one of our foremost designers - that this could be a worthwhile (and lucrative) project for someone, especially while the great man is still with us. His glass has become even more collectable of late with many people wanting to find out more about his work and designs. Ah that I were retired (or rich!) I might have taken on the project myself.
John
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You are quite right about the slimness of the catalogue, but for now, better than nothing!
Susan Tobin's book does have a bias toward the Wegdwood animal paperweights and commerative style wares, etc. Sadly, there is not so much about the art glass wares.
There was a long weekend meeting held by the Glass Association last year at Kings Lynn to coincide with the launch of the exhibition. Graham Cooley, whose collection was the focus of the the exhibition, interviewed Ronnie. Apparently it was quite extraordinary and spellbinding experience for the audience.
I don't believe that the cobalt blue candlestick is a Stennett-Willson design. I am not aware of any candlesticks by him that have an etched surface.
Lastly, thank you for drawing attention to my confused comment on the website. If I can get my web master to instigate the changes I will sort that one out! :oops:
Nigel
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Terry ! Update !
Looks like my last guess might be near the mark
see here and spot the similarities
http://www.sindelarandobrien.com/red_lidded/red-lidded.htm
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Thanks Peter, I am sure you have come up with the answer. The thinness of the glass, the elongated stem point to Italian. I have a couple of other pcs. that have the same structure and have assumed Italian for them. So barring anyone else with more info, we can lay these two to rest. Again they were a gift, now where to display them? Terry
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For me the first similarity I noticed was the knob.
It's a shame that usually when importers and particularly "branders" like Raymor are involved, the identity of the manufacturer seem to get lost forever.He we have a "probably Moretti for Raymor" attribution by the seller which seems about right and implies Murano manufactue unless Moretti has factories elsewhere ?
The quality of these looks good to me and other quality glassware of suspected but unspecified Italian make has been seen on this board, along with a lot which was made for mass markets.
This also may be a good place to note our recent discovery that Carlo Moretti did designs for Pilgrim Glass in it's latter days.
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This also may be a good place to note our recent discovery that Carlo Moretti did designs for Pilgrim Glass in it's latter days.
Peter - I *think* that it was Roberto Moretti who worked at Pilgrim Glass.
Popular 50's & 60s Glass by Pina has some nice pictures of "Venetian" style glass animals designed by Moretti and there are copies of the actual catalog pages from 1969-72.
This is out of my area but ... from what I have been able to gather by internet searches, Alessandro and Roberto Moretti were brothers from the renown Moretti family who immigrated to the US. They settled in West Virginia, the area rich in glass factories. Roberto worked for Pilgrim.
Moretti Bros. (http://www.morettiglas.20fr.com/)
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Thank you Connie and thank you for the link.
Another of similar style here and a new name to me
Alrose Murano Italian Art Glass Yellow Covered Dish
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=994&item=7332187332
Note: Good pic of label which does NOT say Murano
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Yes I did notice it doesn't say Murano, but I think we are on the right track thinking Italy.
I have to comment on the colors, yellow and ameythist. Almost like my High School colors of Purple and gold, not a combo found too much in glass. Terry