Topic: Marked Mdina Paperweight

[chriscooper]

Etched on base "Malta". I know a lot of the Mdina signatures are different and can anyone read this label?

http://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/MarkedMdinaPaperweight?feat=directlink

[chopin-liszt]

It reads Phoenecian, Malta.
Not a mark on Phoenecian I've seen before, thanks! - it's normally thinner script.

[ahremck]

Phoenician paperweight from Malta.  Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicia and you will see that Malta had no less than 6 trading colonies with the Phoenicians.

I agree with Sue, in that my perfume has a much thinner script. (see picture)

Ross

[chriscooper]

Thanks to you both, the only three I could think of was Mdina, phoenician, and Mtarfa, couldn't for the life of me see a 'P' at the start, still can't  doh
Chris

[Lustrousstone]

I have a thin one and a thick one. It's quite crude looking in all respects. Does anyone think it could be an early piece?

[ahremck]

In discussion about a Vasart signature (in the 'Glass' section of this site) it was brought up that Vasart at one stage use matchsticks dipped in an etch to sign their glass.  I happen to have a small dish that shows the result.  I suspect that something like that may be the reason for this signature.  The main problem would be the acid fumes which would be very dangerous.  Hence, I suspect, the change to an engraving tool of some sort which seems much more common - and much safer.

Ross

[chopin-liszt]

Phoenicia glass is an offshoot of Mdina, it was set up by Leonard Mulligan, at Sliema on Manoel Island.
Leonard Mulligan was also one of the business partners Michael Harris had when setting up Gozo Glass a few years later, in '89.

I think this thicker script is produced in a quite similar manner to the thicker Mdina scripts - a vibrating drill thing which goes sideways.

I've never seen the thick script before on a Phoenician piece. I don't know much about what's early or late. Some pieces are variations of a theme from Mdina, very well executed, what I believe to be more recent pieces are quite different - and very sophisticated indeed.