Topic: Seetusee Glassware

[Sandra]

I found my dish with the pigskin backing. It's marked Seetusee Glassware by Mayfair, Portage La Prairie, Canada. I'm including pictures of the mark & a closeup of my dish. It's impossible to get a clear pic of it due to glare.

PICS GONE, but see last post for example

[Frank]

Very interesting can you take one of the whole piece please.

[Sandra]

Hi Frank,

I took several pics of the whole dish but I can't get one that I'm happy with. The 2 pictures don't capture the depth or the glow.

Anne has a very good picture of her dish. I don't know how she managed to get such a clear picture unless hers is flat. Mine is divided & has been slumped in a kiln.

PICS GONE, but see last post for example

[Frank]

You say it is backed with pigskin , is the glass coloured or the pigskin?

[Anonymous]

The coloring is sandwiched between the pigskin & the glass.

[Anne]

Sandra, Thanks for your pictures. I love the deep red of yours. Mine has nothing at all on the back of it... so I'm still stumped as to who made it. It's not flat either - it's curved inwards (concave). I can't recall how I took the photo of it to be honest, it just sort of came out OK! :lol:

Frank, mine is the same - the colours are at the back of the glass, then the glass is backed with pigskin - the pigskin on mine has eased away from the glass very slightly at one end and I can see that the inside of the pigskin is silvered, which partly shows through to give an impression of 3d-relief to it. The photo is here if you want to have a look:
http://www.yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?&pos=-56

[Garry]

I too have been searching for information on these plates. Just the other day, I stumbled across the name "Seetusee" for them, which has given me the opportunity to find this site. I have discovered some information but would love to hear if anyone else can add to it.

I have 3 plates (I have only seen 4 in person to date, I bought 3 of them!) Two 6-7 inch dishes and one 18 inch by 8 inch platter.   I am happy to find others interested in these plates too.

Here is what I have found so far, Hopefully you can add to it!

*All Seetusee pieces are unique as they were hand painted, cured and carefully
sealed with a pigskin backing with a distinctive finish of gold or silver paint
that sets them apart from Mexican pieces. The colours are mixed, exciting and
vibrant and have stood the test of time. Like many styles of art or craft they
have gone through periods of popularity and decline. Each of the huge variety
of shapes are identified by a number (with or without an 'M' prefix) stamped
on the pigskin backing. The brand (Seetusee by Mayfair Glass) is also named
on the backing, either in the form of a stamp or via a sticker label.

Seetusee was a glassware manufactured in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
in the 1960's. It was inspired by Mexican painting on glass but was perfected
by George Hill and Foss Giffin. George Hill was the son of a prominent Portage
druggist and was the force behind several entrepeneurial ventures, including
the Mayfair Hotel, Mauna Loa Lounge, and a car dealership. The hotel burned
down in 1969 but the building that housed the manufacturing facility (which
 was also a bakery) still stands and is now occupied by a drafting firm."

The Mexican version reads:

Multicolored plates and platters in various sizes called "pigskin glass".
The glass is composed of recycled glass, water based paint, and other
decorative material. It is heated in a kiln where the colors mix and the
glass slumps to seal the piece. Rich, vibrant colors result from this
process and creates a unique piece.

The pigskin glass is primarily decorative and can be used for
tabletop, displayed in a plate stand, or hung on a wall with the
built-in hanger.

Another Mexican reference says:

These decorative 12” square glass plates are called “pigskin glass”
because the backing was originally made from pigskin leather.
Manuel Silva and Robert Ornelas are the artists that created these
plates. The pigskin glass is environmentally friendly and is made with
recycled window glass, water based paint, foil and screen mesh. It is
made by first placing the backing material in a mold, decorative material
is applied to the backing and glass is placed on top. The glass is then
heated in a kiln where the heat causes the colors to mix and “slumps” the
glass to seal the piece.

Garry

[Lustrousstone]

Welcome to the board
However, I think you are posting copyright text here. A sentence or two (with quoted source) is OK for making a point, but not large chunks with no source is not allowed. If it's online information, please link to the relevant page. If it's printed information, please rewrite it in your own words and quote the source

I have seen quite a few of these plates at carboot sales - unwanted holiday souvenirs I would guess. Are you in the UK?

[Garry]

I'm not sure about the copyright, It was mostly information provided to questions I asked.

I'm from Canada, which is why I am interested in the plates. They don't seem to be very common around here. The ones I have do not have good markings left on them. One must have had a paper sticker that fell off. I gather they were more common at one time, but that was decades ago.  I plan to pick up a couple more, with better marks (one sticker one stamped) and also want to pick up a Mexican piece that they are based upon to complete the set.

Garry