Topic: Glass Menu/ Placecard Holders, Walsh Walsh Mother of Pearl?

[Mosquito]

I'm hoping somecone can confirm the maker of these beautiful little card or menu holders. I suspect that they may be by Walsh Walsh as the appearance and finish are consistent with a vase Bernard identified for me in the past as Walsh Walsh mother of pearl glass.

They stand about 2 inches tall. the glass has a pale greenish tint, a very subtle opalescence and a pearly iridescence. Both have a neatly snapped pontil mark to the underside.

thanks,
Steven

[Bernard C]

Steven — Yes, I have seen this topic, and, yes, I would closely examine them should I see them on a display at a fair, and, yes, they appear to be of a quality consistent with Walsh glass.

That's a zillion miles away from a Walsh attribution!

Bernard C. 

[Bernard C]

Steven — I have checked the two surviving Walsh factory pattern books reproduced in Reynolds, with no luck, I'm afraid.   Of course that doesn't mean that Walsh didn't make them.

Could you bring them to Cambridge or Gaydon, if you are coming anyway, so that I can have a proper look?   I'm also at Woking on 28th December.   I can't promise anything, but hands-on tells you so much more than a photograph.    As always with fairs, pick a quiet time, don't block access to my display, and vanish immediately in the event of any hint of sales interest.

Bernard C. 

[jinxi]

Just wondered whether you had thought of Venetian, strong similarity with the work of Napoleone Martinuzzi!

He was working a lot on plants, cactuses and grasses and also using similar types of glass to this at around 1930.  Must be worth consideration I would have thought!

Veronica

[Bernard C]

Click image to enlarge

Veronica — Thanks for resurrecting this topic.    I'm now convinced that they're not Walsh, but Venetian, from an early C20 range that inspired Walsh's iridescent glass.   You can see low candlesticks in this or a very similar range in the above photograph, a pair in green left of centre and a pair in pink to the right.   Behind the green candlesticks you will see two further examples — short-stemmed vases in pink and blue.

I showed similar pieces to Dr Rosa Barovier in Venice some years ago, and she confirmed it as Venetian, giving it a date of around 1895–1915.   I'm unsure as to whether this was a launch or production date.   The pink effect with flecks of deeper colour she described as "maccette", a term I've not found elsewhere.   Dr Barovier also told me that it had been made by various glass houses on Murano so was now impossible to attribute to one with any confidence.

So, could Napoleone Martinuzzi have utilised this basic range or style, expanding it into new products with his naturalistic additions?

Fascinating.

Bernard C. 

[jinxi]

Hi Bernard

Delighted I have been able to help, I have never heard the term maccette before either! 

Martinuzzi was a sculptor who turned his hand to glass and re-invented the Venetian style which had been static for years with little innovation in design, fallen out of fashion and was consequently also in economic decline as glassworkers in other countries, e.g. Bohemia, had innovated greatly in the preceding period and cornered the market.  (Not trying to 'teach my grandmother to such egg's here' Bernard, just a quick overview!).  Roughly, I think his involvement with glass started around 1920. Follow this link for a short biography. http://www.olnickspanu.com/Artists/Martinuzzi.html

Although I am sure the basic shape is common, it is the delicate and sculptural foliage that, to me, suggests Martinuzzi.  I don't have the Venini Catalogu Blu or I would dig a little further for you but I do have Rosa Barovier's Napoleone Martinuzzi book. Unfortunately, most of the text is in Italian! Don't think I can click back to original photos without losing what I have typed, but, from memory, the bases were a different and more arched shape and more simplistic than those in the photos which would again suggest Martinuzzi to me.

Veronica

Veronica

[jinxi]

P.S.  All pictures in the book with this kind of base are dated to 1933, not to say it wasn't in use earlier or carried on a lot later, I don't know!  Certainly, characteristic of his work which is essentially grace and simplicity but with adornment.

P.P.S.  Is that you in the photo?  Only asking in case I make it to the fair in November, in which case I would look out for you!

Veronica