Topic: Help please identify squat vase - ID = Mark Kalifa of Queensland

[jal]

      Hi, I have recently purchased a small "squat" vase,  black coloured, with silver foil, & cased in thick clear glass. There are also areas of cloudy grey colours, on the black background.    On the underside is inscribed, what looks like " kaliju" and "636/90".    Nice looking little thing, [better than photo].  The seller told me it was purchased in Sydney, Australia in 1991 or 1992.    Any help in identification please, as I've found nothing on Google or Yahoo.
        Many thanks,    John.

[Lustrousstone]

Can we have a picture of the bottom please.

[jal]

   Picture of base, as requested.   There is a snapped off pontil, and quite scratched on base.     John.

[jal]

    Hello again,   I have just found "Marc Kalifa" from Queensland, on google, so think he may be my man.
    Regards, John.

[Cathy B]

Hi John,
Best way to work it out would be to email him and ask whether it's his. Could you let us know how you go?
Cheers.

[Lustrousstone]

Sounds and looks likely. here is some of his work and a link to his profile

[jal]

     I was not able to get Marc Kalija's e-mail address, but mailed "Art on Cairncross", a gallery that displays his work.  Got a nice reply from Jane Caraffi, [a partner of the gallery], who thinks it is a piece of Marcs work from 1990, and may have been a small oil lamp originally.  He still makes these in a larger size, but different colours.
His work has not been numbered since 1996.
Regards,   John.

[ahremck]

Definitely Mark Kalifa signature - quite a good one actually.  I agree it was almost certainly an oil lamp - hence the broad base so it is very hard to knock over.

Ross