Topic: A Little More Info on Royo Glass

[TxSilver]

I just heard from a friend of mine in Spain. She spoke with an antique dealer, who told her the "Cire" signature on some of the glass is Cirera. I thought it looked like Cirere and Cirese, so I believe that the antique dealer is right. Thought I would pass along the information for anyone who is interested. I wonder if Cirera is any relation to Roman Cirera, the painter. I could locate only a small amount of information on the name.

[TxSilver]

I received the following email from Hazel in Spain about Cirera today:

"Guy's name is Genís (that's an accent over the i and not a dot) Cirera (1890 -1970).  So he was decorating from about the 1920's but there's no real way of determining how old a particular piece is.
 
Info is courtesy of the same Spanish antique dealer who's now doing research on my behalf.  She's also 99.9% positive he's Mallorcan and Moser isn't anywhere to be found.  The natives though, which I thought you might find particularly interesting, do refer to it as "Catalan Art"."


She also sent the following link to a piece of his glass. http://www.todocoleccion.net/copa-cristal-pintado-firmada-cirera~x1970285

[krsilber]

What's the relationship between Cirera and Royo, if any?

It's struck me before that there's a wide range of quality in Royo pieces (and a lot of it, for a single person to produce!).  I wonder whether he might have been the designer, and others helped do the enamel work.  Maybe the same with Cirera?

Nice to get to the bottom of this question!

[TxSilver]

What's the relationship between Cirera and Royo, if any?

You have the same thought as I do. It may be that Cirera and Royo don't really have anything to do with each other. I don't know if they may have worked for the same company at one time, or if they may have independently decorated glass for a certain market. My first piece of this type of glass was a Cirera piece -- a decanter with stylized deer. It was the best quality piece I have handled. I would have to look over all my pictures to see if this is a general trend or if the decanter was just a particularly nice one.

[TxSilver]

I checked pictures of my Cirera and Royo pieces. I also looked at some pieces online. Maybe it is my imagination, but the ones with the Cirera sig look brighter and more heavily enameled than the Royo pieces. Has anyone else noticed this?

[krsilber]

I kinda see what you mean.  Cirera seems to use a lot of bold reds and blues, black and white, and the designs a bit more chaotic.  Royo has lots of cute little birdies and flowers, lots of pastels.  That's my general impression, anyway.

I looked at a dozen Royos just now, and they all say Moser.  Crazy what one little mistake in a book can lead to.

[TxSilver]

I looked at a dozen Royos just now, and they all say Moser.  Crazy what one little mistake in a book can lead to.

That is so true. Apparently the Moser sigs are forgeries. I won't say definitely because it may be someone finds out something that changes our minds completely. I don't think that will happen, though. The forged sigs reminded me of something I ran into with one of my Czech vases that is probably Kralik. I guess to convince people that it was Kralik, someone crudely cut the arc-like Czechoslovakia sig on the bottom. It looks terrible. The funny thing is that they had no idea of all the various ways the word is written. It has two zz's and no middle syllable. Kind of funny. The vase would have been perfect without the ugly scratch! 

I think people would recognize the Royo pieces without an extra Moser sig just as people would recognize a probably-Kralik vase.

[johnphilip]

 Royo = Gordiola glassworks Algaida Majorca .anyone want a bet. JP :sleep:

[TxSilver]

Hazel sent a bit more information. There is some information about Cirera at http://www.angelsegurasole.net/. The Foto section has some things made by Cirera. I don't read Spanish, but was told that the Contemporanis section has some information on both Cirera and Royo. It looks like Cirera had his own glassworks.

Another link, http://www.todocoleccion.net/recipiente-vidrio-esmaltado-firmado-royo~x10107161, has an auction of a Royo piece made in 1977. So... it looks like Royo was painting substantially later than Cirera was if the dates are all correct.

Another vessel at http://www.todocoleccion.net/aceitera-detalles-estilo-murano~x10380463 is probably Royo, although it is called Murano.

[Ivo]

getting a bit nervous about too much speculation and confusion.

The first link you give is the Catalá home page for enamel artist Angel Segura Solé, who worked both on pottery and glass.  Hot enamel decoration was first put on the map by Núria and Euda Solé (most likely mother and aunt of Angel) who took part in the 1925 Art Deco exhibition in Paris. Then, at the 1929 Barcelona exhibition work of Catalan hot enamel artists Lluís Rigalt, Joan Sales, Ricard Crespo, Pere Brugués and Josep Gual was shown.

Royo is listed in the artist section of 7 Catalan enamel artists, but no further details such as dates or locations are given. The full list is Josep Mª Gol i Creus, Àngel Segura Solé  (1912), Joan Cervera Martí (1912), Miquel Fruitós (1921), Royo, Francesc Elías i Bracons (1892), and Ramón Sunyer i Clarà.

Cirera is mentioned as a brand name: Àngel Segura, Mercé Cirera and Royo worked under that brand.

The second link you give shows an enameled bowl signed by Royo in 1977.

The third link you give shows a standard oil bottle made by the Gordiola glassworks in Mallorca.