Topic: ID Required .. Venetian Glass Vase...? Possible Latticino Glass.....?

[Paul S.]

I know nothing of this material  -  other than the fact that the original 1950's bona fide pieces had the gold marvered into the metal during manufacture  -  and were probaly not made just for tourists.   Looked at quickly, these more recent pieces appear to have the gold in a similar fashion, but it really is only on the outside.  As an example of gold being used more skillfully, see http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,35039.msg189748.html#msg189748.......but then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder....even though the money may not be.....I know which piece I'd rather have .   

[langhaugh]

This looks like a fairly nice piece of glass to me. The zanfirico is varied, reasonably fine, and quite regular. The foot isn't merletto, but filigrana, perhaps gold.

With due respect to Paul, I don't find the term "touristy glass" terribly useful here. I know what Paul means, not particularly distinguished glass made cheaply and simply for tourists to buy. But not all tourist are looking  for cheap, and certainly not in the time when going to Venice meant you had money. Some really good glass was bought by tourists, I'm sure, as well as some fairly good glass, like this.

Now if you wanted to sell this to me at a throwaway price I would be very happy to elevate it to a place of privilege in my house. I think it's a pretty nice piece. I've no idea about the maker, btw. I'd defer to Anita there. 

David

[TxSilver]

I'll have to defer back to you.  I wouldn't even try to ID without a label to go by. The foot is very nice. The gold looks like it is inside the glass to me. It needs a scratch test on a tiny area to see. It would be unusual for this type of vase to have painted gold. The looseness of the latticino and the casual application of the handles lead me to put this in the "hard to attribute" group, which seems to be the largest group of Murano glass pieces.

I thought I would throw in that most of the glass that we see here in the USA is considered tourist type glass. I'm sure these pieces were the bread and butter money of the glass companies. And they're pretty to us, so we enjoy owning them.

[antiquerose123]

Hi -- the gold on the base of my figurine does Not scratch off.  It is inside the glass, fused with it.

So may I make a possible suggestion:
Could someone have tried to *beef* up the gold coloring on the base to make it more attractive as in $$ wise?  Maybe *under* that other gold paint, there is the real gold flecks that is fused in the glass.  We all know things come down to the GoD almighty dollar.  Many other antiques had *added* silver marks dating things to be older than they were......so maybe, just maybe - this is still a real piece of glass (both of them here) but that more gold paint was added to make it more $$$ -- just like *older silver marks* were added to no-marked silver pieces to make you think they are older.

Worth a thought......

Have you looked under where you have scratched, and is there any gold at all fused in the Glass?

Or could have some of these be made with *clear* bases, but then the over all effect was not liked, and therefore gold paint was added after.  I say this (IMHO) because I *assume* that pieces were made in *variable* ways as each glass-maker would experiment with the same design, but change a thing around here and there.  What happens if they made some with clear bases, and then just did not like them, or the appeal of them.  I would assume (IMHO) that rather than toss out the time, money that still went into to these -- a little splosh of gold paint on the top would solve the problem, and no-one is the wiser when they are sold out of the store -- if they look similar, and IS the tourist who can afford to go to italy, really going to be able to tell the difference.  I am not saying they did this to deceive at all -- but a business is a business in any shape or form.

These are just suggestions IMHO only, and only throwing out some possibilities that *could* have taken place.  I do not know, and maybe I am stretching it -- but really -- we were not there, so anything is possible.  

....and Paul S, before you throw that away -- I would *gladly* take it off your hands to, as it would look nice with my other Figurine -- as I love it.

....and GBarfoot  - If you do not want yours either -- I would be *glad* to have it too.

Now we got members wanting them -- So they are Pretty to US !!!

P.S. - When I look at mine, and your guys - it does look like yours is a heavier coating of Gold on the base -- but I still *think* IMHO, you still have the Real Deal under it....IMO :X:

[antiquerose123]

Hi -- For your viewing pleasure here are some more figurines (30) to look at the bases, hats, swirls, gold (etc) and compare:

Click Here :thup:

[langhaugh]

Maybe Rose's last post could start a separate thread. This thread originally started by discussing a vase.


David

[johnphilip]

I have a faint recollection of being told a long time ago that a layer of gold leaf was laid on to hot glass and it would disperse leaving an uneven but interesting pattern , if this is correct would it not be on the surface ? it was a Gaffer that told me this .

[Lustrousstone]

That's different JP, think IoW or Stuart Strathearn. This looks more like powder and just under the surface to me. I too would give it house room (if I had any!); it looks nice quality and older rather than newer to me.

[johnphilip]

Hi Christine i know what you are saying but at the time we were discusing two old small Italian birds that i have since been told were probably Venini .

[Paul S.]

I know less than any of  you on the subject of this type of ware, and wouldn’t dream, usually, of commenting.  It was just that I was surprised to find the gold was on the surface and could be scratched with a finger nail – on my figure.   As I have already said, ‘beauty is in the eye of the what’s it’, and if anyone has taken offence because I criticized a ‘style’ then apologies, nothing ill intended.     Rose, my figure is yours  -  be on it’s way to you at the end of the week, and if it does turn out to be worth a king’s ransome – please remember me.