Topic: Unusual Mdina glass vase, is it real??

[davidfish1212]

Hi all, I bought this vase at the weekend ( less than £10 ), the base is signed Mdina, but I have had a look on the Mdina web site and have found nothing similar. Not to sure what you would call the finish, is it acid etched? frosted? Could this be a fake signature, it does look similar to the Mdina signatures I have on other bits ( It was really hard to photograph, sorry ) The inside of the vase certainly looks like a Mdina piece and the colours are right. I bought it as I had never seen a Mdina piece with this finish before, although I see a couple of ebay 'frosted' vases listed. The vase is roughly 18cm high and quite heavy. The vase has raised trailing to the outside. Have I bought a fake or does anyone have info on this piece ( which, unusually, my wife actually likes!!! ) cheers, David

[chopin-liszt]

A pic of the mark might help! Try giving it a light dusting of talcum powder to bring it out.

They did do frosted stuff, mostly later than my period of interest, though I do have a couple of examples, I've not seen one in red and white before, and the strapping looks unusual, though I wouldn't say it's not recent Mdina.
(my monitor's gone funny, I can't see colours properly at all).

Try writing to them to ask.

[davidfish1212]

Hi Sue, at work just now but will stop for talc on the way home!! I did try to get a shot of the mark, but gave up after about 50 attempts ( light and frosting made it almost impossible!!) cheers, David

[davidfish1212]

Hi Sue, got the base all talked up, thanks for the tip!! Hope the signiture helps on this one. The colour is orange on clear glass. I have been on the mdina web site but could find nothing remotely similar on it. Hope you (or someone else out there ) can shed a bit more light on this vase. Cheers, David.

[chopin-liszt]

The mark looks right, it's not a shape I'm familiar with (but I don't tend to go later than the '80s, my preference is for much earlier work), I'm not able to say too much about the colour, given my monitor's peculiar behaviour! You call it orange, some folk do call Mdina red "orange". To me it's red - a slightly dried blood colour. The strapping looks unusual, rather nicely done - a bit more adventurous than normal, but altogether it has the right "look" for Mdina, and the mark's definitely right. Quite a nice bit.

[glassobsessed]

Yes the Mdina mark (not signature or Sue will scold me ) looks fine.

Definitely orange from here, I have seen the same design in amethyst and clear, also frosted. My (wild) guess is that they date from the late seventies or early eighties.

John

[davidfish1212]

Thanks guys for your information, i'm glad that it looks like a real Mdina bit. I will try and ask Mdina if they can give me any info on it.
Can anyone recommend a book on Mdina glass as I am starting to become a big fan!!!!

cheers, David

[glassobsessed]

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,19158.0.html

http://markhillpublishing.co.uk/?page_id=34

Probably available elsewhere too.

[nigel benson]

Hi,

I remember seeing these for sale in Liberty's, at an educated guess, in the early 1980's. Being such a change from the usual greens and blues at the time it struck quite a cord, especially the acid etched finish. I remember not being enammered by the leap to the red/orange colour. I've got used to it now

It would be good to learn what Mdina themselves say - and whether I've got to bring the date for the nursing home forward

Nigel

[davidfish1212]

I'll keep you posted on their reply, thanks everyone :thup: