Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: Pip on January 26, 2007, 10:38:57 PM
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I've had this little vase for a while - it's Mdina, it's got a paper label, it's not signed to the base (just polished flat). All I've been able to find out from my books and Googling is that it's from what was called their earthtones series from the 1970's. Any further info would be appreciated - TIA.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/IMG_6497.jpg
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I'm being extremely cheeky here but I'm bumping this up because Mark's around ;D
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Hi Pip, it seem,s there is a whole range of new products,
Earth
Pink Strata
Geen Mosaico
Airpockets
Oils , ect ect.
Which ca be found at www.mdinaglass.net , but what realy suprised me was how there was no mention of Michael Harris in the company history ??? :-\
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Cheers for that Sue, I'm aware of the modern production of this but I've found sketchy reference to an earlier production dating from the 1970's in a book - since this has the old style paper label (all the modern Mdina I've had so far had transparent plastic labels) I'm thinking this is the earlier stuff but I just don't know for sure. Weird that they don't mention MH on the site though I agree ???
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HMMM :-\ could be an early colourway and they just revived it, will try another track :-\
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You are sweet Sue - but don't go to too much trouble on my behalf (you are fast gaining the unofficial title of GMB Super Sleuth though!)
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HA told you i'm just nosey :P but semi retired now because of the back (facet joint disease) so a bit of writing, drawing, and research, and of course collecting!! but i enjoy the research as we are all still learning, it just facinates me, so i dont mind.
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Hi All,
Yep, this is from the range known as 'Earthtones', which was released after Michael Harris left Mdina. Interestingly, as some of you may know, when he arrived at IOW he -- independently -- released the very similar looking 'Tortoiseshell' range at roughly the same time. This just goes to show again that quite often it isn't always a case of one person copying another over a design - it just happens as it represents the 'look' of the time, is the logical next step etc or whatever - sometimes people just have the same ideas as another, with neither knowing about the other.
Anyhow. Mdina Earthtones is slightly different in terms of colour and the form of the random pattern. Compare them and you will see what I mean - Earthones tends to be more swirly, for example, due to the way it is made compared to IOW T'shell. Earthtones is also generally blown much thicker than IOW T'shell, giving pieces more weight. Earthtone pieces have flat bases and IOW T'Shell pieces are typically marked with a concave 'coachbolt' (rare) pontil mark or a 'flame' (more common) pontil mark.
Earthones was produced for quite some time from the mid-1970s and may even be still in production, along with all the new ranges released by Mdina. It's not hard to find, but this is a nicely proportioned and coloured piece. Paper labels are earlier than clear plastic, which I'd think date from the 1990 onwards. I don't have an exact date as it's a little beyond my scope time-wise.
I don't know why Michael Harris is not mentioned on the Mdina Glass website. I have my thoughts and opinions ( :-X ) , and I guess that Mr Said has the right to decide what to say on his own website, but I think he should be mentioned. History can't be changed whatever (huge) credit one deserves for successfully running an independent art glass studio in difficult times over a number of decades.
Hope this helps,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com
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Thanks a lot for that Mark - extremely informative and also good to hear I was on the right path. With the help of this forum, your book and others I'm getting a real feel for Mdina and other Maltese glass (even if I can't always remember exactly which book I read something in DOH it must be my age) :-\
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Facinating Mark, and you are right Michael Harris should be mentioned on the Mdina site, as you say you can't change history, and he will always get his credit here, i should think that whenever anyone sell's a piece of Mdina, they should mention Michael Harris.
Sue.
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;D :-[
Hi Pip, I didn't comment because I'm quite confused by Earthtones, and I think I can identify about 4-5 different styles. I don't know more than that really
All I can say is I think this is my second favourite style. :-*
My favourite style tends to have a round polished pontil mark with the dark browns in a sort of mesh-like pattern over the bubbly yellow.
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No worries Sue - we got the information confirmed in the end ;D I don't think I know which one you're referring to btw but I'm sure it's nice, there's very little Mdina I don't like.