Topic: What is with this base???

[karelm]

Hi,
I have seen this on ebay and am wondering if anyone has seen this before or know this as a standard restoring procedure for a bad base at some time or by some restorer? Or is this suppossed to enhance the way the light reflects back into the weight Or is there some other reason??
As far as I can see the roses look right, am I correct in assuming the description is right and it is Clichy??  It will get to rich for my purse...but maybe one day
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Clichy-Millefiori-Paperweight-Pink-Green-Rose-c1850_W0QQitemZ320098405422QQcategoryZ20QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Kind regards

[glasstrufflehunter]

That's definitely Clichy.

I wouldn't call giving it a grid cut a standard way of restoring a base. Maybe someone got creative. I like the way it looks.

Antique weights are definitely out of my reach too. Maybe someday. In the meantime I will console myself with the beautiful stuff coming from Scottish makers. 

[Leni]

Yes, I've been watching that one as well.  Definitely Clichy, but WHY that treatment of the base? 

Maybe there was a bad bruise which needed removing, but someone obviously decided that rather than just lose a layer of glass they would do some fairly elaborate cutting!  For what purpose, one wonders? 

It does look quite nice I suppose, and it would certainly make it obvious that some 'repair' work has been done, as everyone would know that no Clichy would have originally been finished this way.  That's the only reason I can think of. 

I don't think the price will go as high as it might without the fancy cutting, which may put some 'purists' off.  But it is possible to get a nice Clichy at a reasonable price.  I only paid between a couple and three hundred quid for mine, and with £30 worth of polishing by an expert hand, it's now worth about £800 I'm told!

[Lustrousstone]

This base cutting is found as standard on some paperweights. Lynne had one but I can't remember if it was Clichy or St Louis or something else

Found it here but it's a much finer grid and St Louis

[josordoni]

This base cutting is found as standard on some paperweights. Lynne had one but I can't remember if it was Clichy or St Louis or something else

Found it here but it's a much finer grid and St Louis

Yes, that one is mine.  Very fine cutting, nothing like the coarse grid on karelm's one.  (karelm - what is your proper name?  I feel very rude calling you by your id all the time...)

[glasstrufflehunter]

I did a little bit of reading and found mention of Clichy putting a grid cut on the bases of some of their double overlays.

[Leni]

I did a little bit of reading and found mention of Clichy putting a grid cut on the bases of some of their double overlays.

Thanks, Trufflehunter, you're absolutely right!  I just looked it up in my 'Hollister'!  

I wonder if this base treatment could possibly be original then?   How strange!  Might even make it more expensive!  

[Frank]

It certainly would add to the cost and I cannot think of any damage it could hide that normal polishing would not deal with. My vote is original. The modern use is only on the more special: http://www.scotlandsglass.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.view_images&product_id=1565&image_id=520&Itemid=1

[karelm]

The only reference I could find is also to the base cutting only done on other cut weights.  Could be that this was experimental or there would be other examples known?  But if consensus is that it is original the price is going to go to morgage levels I'd recon  Should be good to watch.

[Frank]

Bid what you can afford and perhaps you get lucky... if not, at least you had the fun of taking part.