Topic: Damaged Glass Dilemma....Giant Duck

[selina]

Hi all again,

Ive put this in the queries here even though I suspect that this is a Murano duck. My dilemma is....

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7456
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7455

The tail is snapped off at the end...and a chip off the back of his foot underneath..This lovely duck measures 34.5cm high (13.5") and weighs a smidgen under 6 kilos. Ive had him for almost 10 years, bought from a nursing home clearout. He's been in the back of the cabinet and now Im sorting my glass out, I come to my problem..

Is he now valueless because of the damage?
Can he ever be repaired?
Should I bother even finding out the maker? (after being on this board a while now, I realise the scratches on the side could be a Murano signature  And if I research the maker and it turns out to be a desirable one..again...does he have ANY value?

I still think he's gorgeous of course, and I havent seen one that big here before. So I guess Im wondering what everyone does with their damaged glass? I could cull a few things from my collection going by small chips and sundries.

Trudy

[Pinkspoons]

So I guess Im wondering what everyone does with their damaged glass?

We hide it in the attic and treat it like a demented ex-wife who will one day burn the house to the ground, I suspect. Except for Max, she keeps hers in the woodshed. Okay, enough of the literary allusions.... 

I think most collectors steer clear of noticably damaged glass, and it is pretty much valueless - except if it's an astonishingly old or rare/unique piece. I've only ever purposefully bought three damaged pieces, and those were all to illustrate my HG site on the cheap - the most I paid was £1.50 and in perfect condition they would easily have run to £40-60 each.

[Frank]

Most I ever paid for a damaged piece of glass was around one thousand pounds. So value of that piece, which I sold for a small gain was clear. In general it depends what it adds to your collection, if it fills a gap then it is invaluable, if not and you don't like it - then it has no value.

[selina]

Thanks for your input Nic & Frank...now could someone bump me over to the Murano glass so that I can see if my 6 kilo duck is a unique item in any way. I really hope so.....

If anyone can help me identify the style, I would appreciate it, Im really trying hard to read the scratches in the hope its a signature; there must be an easier way to do this!

Trudy

[Pinkspoons]

Reading signatures on badly-scratched bases - I've found that rubbing in charcoal dust can sometimes help. Signatures tend to be a little deeper and broader than surface scratches, and so tend to show up more when you fill them in with something contrasting. You may even get away with talcum powder, or a finely ground spice if you have no charcoal just pottering around. 

[selina]

Thanks Nic

I used some lead from a pencil, not quite ash but made it more readable. Im still not sure its even a signature..its on the side of the duck...but there is nothing else similar on it. It does seem too deep to just be surface scratches but who knows. I will put a new post with my interpretation of the signature in the hope someone has an idea.

Trudy