Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: flying free on January 11, 2013, 07:50:41 PM
-
I thought it might be simple to find some info on this vase, but in the event I’ve not managed to find out anything at all, nor any match to it.
I'm guessing it may be Bohemian but wondered if there were any views on whether this could be French?
It measures 29.5cm tall by 10.5cm wide.
Mould blown quality base, cut and bevelled and polished rim that's been gilded. Rim width about 3.5mm. Solid 'opaline' or opaque pale blue glass.
The enamelling is superb. I presume it was made to mimic pâte-sur-pâte porcelain.
I’m meandering between 1890 and earlier for date – any thoughts on whether it might be earlier than 1890? The reason being that Sevres developed this technique c.mid 19th century and produced a porcelain vase called the Bertin vase which has scenes such as this on it. One has an underwater sea scene, another I’ve seen has birds and grasses/leaves on like this scene. (I’m linking a great picture of the Sevre pâte-sur-pâte vase with underwater scene and another with the land based scene on it, just because the vases are so very beautiful…do take a peek :) )
http://web.cmoa.org/?attachment_id=9373
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-pair-of-sevres-pate-sur-pate-circa-1854-4175358-details.aspx?intObjectID=4175358
The later vases (c.1890) I see seem to be all people type vases, in pâte-sur-pâte porcelain as well as the Bohemian glass ones in Truitt’s and others on the net. However the blue makes me wonder if it was mimicking Minton who it appears did do a blue pâte-sur-pâte and I think from what I read, there was a revival of this type of technique again later in the century.
The white enamelled vases with people on them from Muhlhaus in Truitt's Bohemian Glass 1880-1940 seem to be dated around 1890 - these are ones with children and people on them but none have a ‘scenic’ picture. There is a pair of plain blue opaque or opaline vases but the shape is not the same as they are straight cylinder vases.
The white is built up in layers from what I understand and fired between each layer. The detail is great, down to the feathers on the chest being ruffled to one side where the stork is pecking.
The applied cabochons are dark blue glass, over-enamelled initially in a thin white layer. This has the effect of making them appear pale grey against the pale blue body, with the dark blue 'eye' of the cabochon showing. They've then been further decorated with white enamel, which shows as white against 'grey' and the eye outline in gilt - very effective and pretty.
Any help much appreciated :)
m
-
more pics
-
very intriguing looking piece m, the white decoration looks high quality - regret I'm not remotely able to help on this occasion. Looking in the dictionaries it would seem that there needs to be some degree of translucence to qualify for 'opaline' - and as you've said 'solid', then perhaps this is more accurately described as 'pale blue opaque glass'. great looking piece though, and I'd certainly go along with Bohemian :)
-
I associate cabochons with Bormioli FWIW
-
Ivo do you have a reference at all please as I can't find anything to view on Bormioli at all. Thanks :)
I get the feeling it Bohemian, but I could be wrong. This is the nearest I can find online (see link) type thing, but the vases in Truitt's are blue but have the 'Mary Gregory' children on them - page 94.
http://www.auctions-fischer.de/kataloge/online-kataloge/199.html?kategorie=17&artikel=16152&L=&cHash=eb274abdfb
m
-
Unbelievable! I changed my search to read simply 'white enamel Heron' instead of Stork which I'd used (as well as many other searches ::) )
and look what I found
http://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/antiquedetail.asp?autonumber=41066
Perhaps I need to check my bird knowledge a little more.
m
-
Harrachov Neuwelt. 1860's-1870's.
-
I've no idea what happened to my post that I thought I'd sent last night ??? I must have not clicked send.
So my apologies for the apparent delay in saying thank you so much! I appreciate it.
I had thought it might be earlier for some reason. I made a typo in my post above as well. In Truitt's the ones with children and ladies on under Muhlhaus are dated 1895 (and 1900 as well), not 1890.
I just came back to say I've still not worked out if it is a stork or a heron ;D could be either I think.
Paul, thank you. I'm waiting for some sun and I'll try and take a picture with natural light on the glass and see how different it might be to one of my white opaline pieces.
I seem to have accumulated a little collection of very big Harrach vases :)
Many thanks again.
m
-
this is not the same as the so called mary gregory kids other than being a white enamel. The quality is much higher. This is from teh Japonica influence more than victorian influence.
-
I'd be inclined to agree........in which case the bird might be a representation of a crane, possibly.
-
thanks for your lovely comments :) I've had a good look at the vases with children on and it's true that the way this vase is enamelled, along with the detail in it and the size of the picture which extends almost right around the vase, is a different quality I think.
I've attached a couple more pictures that should show the sheen on the enamel as the previous ones made it look very matt. It should be possible to see how the layers are created one by one with different detail on the picture.
Paul you're possibly right that it depicts a crane. I'm going to investigate habitat a little more and see if we can pin it to one or the other.
I've attached a link to some information on Japonisme from the Met Museum
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm
It states within that information - 'After Japanese ports reopened to trade with the West in 1853, a tidal wave of foreign imports flooded European shores.' and 'Parisians saw their first formal exhibition of Japanese arts and crafts when Japan took a pavilion at the World's Fair of 1867. But already, shiploads of oriental bric-a-brac—including fans, kimonos, lacquers, bronzes, and silks—had begun pouring into England and France. '
I would imagine that information and style had filtered back very quickly Europe wide and it fits in with the dates given of 1860s-1870s.
With regards to whether this can be described as opaline glass, the answer is I don't know. It isn't the same as my mid 19thc white opaline glass that I believe is French. Neither is it as translucent as some green opaline I've had or still have both mid 19thc I believe. Nor is it exactly the same as a 19th century turquoisey blue opaline scent bottle I owned. All were more sheeny, not as densely coloured as this glass. Perhaps it might be called blue opaque glass? but you can see through it when you hold it to the light, I can see my fingers and the reverse of the bird and the decoration, so it's not opaque and is translucent. I still think it is 'opaline' glass.
There's a picture here of a vase sold by Alexia Amato that appears to be a similar type of glass
http://alexiaamatoantiques.com/sold5.asp?stock=O7
I'll report back on the bird or if I find anything more :)
Thank you again for your help. I'm enjoying this vase a lot!
m
-
I think this is Blau milchglas. but I do not think the difference between blau milchglas, blau opaline or Blau alabaster make any difference on the value or even the honesty of the description. They're all very similar in look and value.
-
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,51535.msg292220.html#msg292220
link to a similar piece :)
m
-
Is it possible this vase is a lot earlier than 1870?
In my book Das Bohmische Glass Band II Biedermeier Empire
on page 32,33,34,35 there are a number of examples of pale blue, taupe and dark blue vases with thick white enamelling. Some are identified as Franz Anton Zahn Steinschonau 1825-1830.
None have the level of detail or size of enamelling pictures that are on either of my taupe or blue vase, but there are details in one in particular that are very similar - page 32 (Zahn 1825-1830) a matt taupe coloured large vase with white enamelling frond type leaves that are similar to those on my stork vase, as well as having the decorative leaf band (laurel?) and gilded bands. The enamelling on both the stork and swan vases is of a similar high quality to this.
There are three pieces in light blue opaque glass, enamelled, none are as turquoise as my vase but two are not matt, one has the white enamelling of a small bird, and the banded leaf detail and little flowers.
In addition there is a vase on page 30 that also has similar white enamel laurel? leaf decoration and also has an applied foot that appears to be open at the base. It is matted white opaline attributed as '1825-1830 Falkenau oder Kreibitz'. Need to look those up as I know nothing about those.
These are very large vases - I think with a lid on the taupe vase would have stood around 34cm or 13"/14".
I can see that some of the techniques will have been used over time, but I think it's possible my vases date to an earlier period than 1870. Storks were seen as good luck, so I'm not sure they date to the period of oriental influence necessarily.
m
-
Just while I'm batting back and forth between periods and to add for information
there are turquoise vases in a similar colour to mine listed in Truitt' Bohemian glass 1880-1940 on page 94 under Mulhaus (a decorator, not a manufacturer). None are shown under Harrach in that book.
So I suppose what I'm wondering is whether turquoise opaque or opaline glass was made around 1825 -1830 period - there are none in Das Bohmische Glas as mentioned above, and there are no black ones either (having found a black one that looks to be the same range as my turquoise one). That could of course just be because they didn't have examples to photograph.
m
-
Jasperware imitations in glass may have started as early as 1800 (Jasperware was introduced 1775 and still produced today I think) but the Portland vase incident of 1845 may have triggered the boom.
-
thanks Ivo. I haven't come across any more in my books unfortunately. Something to keep an eye out for though.
Did you receive the pictures I sent?
m
-
Yes i did thank you - will mail you.
-
http://prisma-gallery.com/index.php/glass-tour
Fourth photo down is labelled 'monumental Harrach cameo vase'.
Difficult to tell but it appears to be in a similar style to mine, at least the blue one.
m