Topic: A Baccarat Vase - anyone please?

[pamela]

http://picasaweb.google.com/glasscollector2008/Baccarat/photo#5228060879503634082

I have been contacted by a French guy asking for more information - can you please help?

TIA 

[Mosquito]

A nice looking vase, & not a pattern I've seen before.

I don't have any Baccarat catalogues but on p.177 of Cappa's Le Genie Verrier de L'Europe (deuxieme edition) there are some press moulded Baccarat vases shown, one of which (No. 283) is a fan shaped vase with similar amber staining giving the same quasi-cameo effect. It is dated 1878 & I would have thought that, given the stylistic similarity, your friend's vase would be from around that time.

Steven

[pamela]

Thank you Steven, shall post your reply to France
It's so great being here :chky:

[Ivo]

Apparently it is a technique which predates cameo and which Baccarat bought from a French patent holder.  It took me forever to find out who made mine. I would not describe it as "quasi-cameo" which suggests it was made to look like something else... but a as a precursot to the cameo technique.

[Mosquito]

Quasi implies seemingly or having a likeness to, that some people infer it to mean a later copy is arguably a quirk of usage. I doubt that the technique predates cameo cutting which has been around since ancient times, albeit not always used with glass, though of course, the Romans were skilled makers of cameo glass as shown by the Portland vase. likewise the Chinese appear to have started substituting layered glass for hardstone in their carved vessels at least as early as the Qianlong period, though the technique probably pre-dates this significantly.

I mention Oriental work particularly as the vase in question does show a very strong oriental influence, unsurprising given that it was produced at a time when Japan was exporting a great deal to the west & the French concession was well established in Shanghai.

[Ivo]

sorry i referred to acid cameo technique not cameo cutting.

[aa]

A nice looking vase, & not a pattern I've seen before.
Steven

Nor me. It might be worth contacting the Baccarat museum. Is it marked Baccarat?

It is a particularly nice vase and I'd venture to say quite unusual. The technique as described by Ivo suggests that there should have been quite a number, but the fact that nobody recognises it yet, suggests an element of rarity.

[pamela]

http://picasaweb.google.com/glasscollector2008/Baccarat

Yes it is, this is the complete album 

[Frank]

Probably a similar technique to that shown in the patent here
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,21014.msg120182.html#msg120182

[pamela]

quote
 
& the French concession was well established in Shanghai.

unqote

YES the French were there! And Sweden too! I was not around, of course, but shall never forget what my MIL reported, which and what the Swedish did in 1944 for his, her, this family!

And if I google-earth today - it's nice to see my husband's birth house still there