Topic: J.I. Co label in Murano101 - new info

[Anne]

This label has been discussed in the Murano board previously so I thought you'd like to know that I have just had an email via the GlassGallery from a lady called Sylvia Hamowy who says:

HI, I SAW THE QUESTION ABOUT J.I. CO. LABEL. THAT WAS MY FATHER'S CO. IN MURANO ITALY IN 1950'S. HE HAD AN ITALIAN PARTNER AND A SHOWROOM ON 23 STREET AND FIFTH AVE. NYC. MY FATHER DESIGNED THE GLASS. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME YOU HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS. SYLVIA

I've removed Sylvia's email address from her message as spam-protection but have it stored safely if anyone wants to contact her privately (please email me for details.)  I've also asked if she can tell us more about her father's company and invited her to join us here on the board.

[TxSilver]

Anne, this is such good information. Someone wrote in another group that JI Co was an import company. Apparently they did their own glass, rather than handling that of others. Good to know.

Anita

[sandymae]

Anne,
Thats really interesting information, I have several pieces with the label, and have always thought it was just the importing company. Did they also import Fratelli Toso paperweights, according to Lesley Pina, Fratelli Toso, Page 199,  Fratelli Toso paperweights were in the J.I.Co catalog.
Sandra

[langhaugh]

I bought a copy of a partial J.I. catalog from the West Virginia Museum of American Glass. The front of the catalog is penciled 1958. The introduction talks of the company being "one of the world's leading importers of Venetian glass. Each piece shown here is brought direct from our own factory in Murano." Of course, that's no guarantee that they actually had a factory. Although it's an incomplete catalog, the glass that is shown is fairly consistent with the glass I've got that has the JI label, fairly pedestrian. The prices in the catalog are great, though. $1.50 an ashtray.

The pamphlet also comes with copies of a few trade ads for some more upscale glass. These include Mottahedah in NY and Toscany Imports who showed New Empoli Glass, including vases, flasks and ewers for $7.50 per dozen.

BTW, unfortunately the reprint is in black and white.

David

[shandiane78]

Wow, I always thought it was only an importer's label! Does this mena that pieces with the J.I. Co label can't be attributed to any other Murano designer?

[bidda]

Anne,
that's wonderful information. it's great to finally have a definitive answer as to whether JI Co was a producer or importer (or both). i wonder, since he had a partner in italy, if there's any way to find out which artists worked on executing the pieces that Sylvias father designed.

thanks for sharing,

bidda

[sandymae]

I have emailed Sylvia, and this is her reply,

 I am happy to hear that Jordan's Importing Company is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Many times I see my father's work attributed to other artists of that time because they do not know the maker.
My father, Jack Blanco designed all of the glass. He had a partner, Spartaco Colelli in Venice who took care of the manufacturing.
 My father opened a beautiful showroom on the corner of 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue. He hired a decorator and had a cocktail party to show the new designer glass. The showroom was all glass with windows on two sides. It was magnificent. We had never seen anything like it. My father had exceptional taste and was always before his time.

I will email Sylvia again, and ask if she knows where the workshop was located.

[svazzo]

Hi,
I might have some second hand info on this...
I recently bought 1 piece, that is clearly Alfredo Barbini, and it has the J.I. Co. label.
it is a very nice Black, White and Gold Seashell (which I collect) and is clearly Barbini, so I think the J.I. Co. imported pieces from Barbini as well. I dont think that ALL the pieces were designed by the owner like the daughter says. im sure most pieces were in fact made by his partner, but they also imported pieces from Fratelli Toso, and now Barbini (specially from that shell I got).

Javier

[TxSilver]

This is good to hear. I recently saw a bowl that I had considered to be Fratelli Toso with a JI Co label on it. I sold a couple of these bowls a few months ago, so I was concerned when I saw the gondola label on one of them. I am still concerned that I misattributed the bowls -- something I don't like to do, but unfortunately have done a few times.

Anita

[shandiane78]

Javier, that is very good information, and thanks for sharing it! I saw a basket form piece that I would have sworn was Fratelli Toso, and it too had the J.I. Co. label.