Topic: Modern Smoke vase with Amethyst trails, signed to base

[josordoni]

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

Smoke base glass, with applied amethyst trails to bottom half.  Whitefriars type polished pontil to base, engraved signature to base.  Stands 6.5 ins 160 mm tall, 4.75 ins 115 mm dia at base.  I note the continental 7s to what I presume is the date 77?

Any help will be appreciated,

[Andy]

Lynne, looks like Z something? (continental crossed Z) (and a little man hopping )
Andy

[josordoni]

it's the mark of Zorro


slash-slash-slash  Ha!

 

[Tigerchips]

I'm not sure but I'm guessing that this trailed decoration is a fairly common one with studio glass makers? If not, I have a vase with the same type of decoration by (i'm fairly sure) Adrian Sankey.

Could we have a pic of the base please?

[josordoni]

Thanks TC, here you are:

[Tigerchips]

Much different. My vase has a spiral on the base and the pontil on mine looks like it's been scraped.

[Frank]

It looks like an interesting technique I wonder if one of the glassmakers can comment on it? I cannot work out how it was done. Is the trailing proud of the surface?

[aa]

It is called trailing and feathering. You trail a secondary colour around the piece in straight lines, melt the trails in and use a hooked spike to pull them. It is very similar to a confectionery technique used in icing pastries such as "mille feuilles"



http://mousseymoose.com/images/FCI%20Pictures/5-8-07/Daniel's%20Mille-Feuilles%20Au%20Chocolat.JPG

I believe it dates back to Roman times and possibly earlier. I wonder whether the Romans had a penchant for "milles feuilles" 

Tiffany and Loetz used it to great effect......

[Frank]

I was puzzled as in the base picture the trails 'seem' to be proud of the surface and usually they are smoothed in.

[josordoni]

Frank, the amethyst glass is flat and level with the base smoke, it looks slightly raised because the edges of the feathers have a groove - it was obviously a separately applied trail as Adam says, but I would guess that the vase was rolled after the trailing was applied to flatten the trails into the base.

AA can talk more technical than me and explain it