Topic: Alabastro elephant - maker?

[glasseyed]

Hi All

I have just bought this lovely little chap

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/EnglishPorcelain/Elephant?feat=directlink

I am looking for clues on maker/date. He stands just 3.5" or 8.5 cm to the top of his trunk, but is beautifully detailed (lost I'm afraid to some extent on my photos).

Thanks

Hazel

[chopin-liszt]

He IS nice, Hazel.
I'm not sure that he's not Jadite rather than alabastro, though. Somebody who knows better than me is needed.

[Max]

...I'm not sure he's even glass!   :huh:  Do you think he might be carved from semi-precious stone?

[chopin-liszt]

If you look carefully at the second image, blown up, you can see there are bubbles in it, Max.
I do think it's glass, (but I also know the little carved animals you're talking about, and can see where you're coming from - the whole shape, with all the detail, is quite remarkable for a glass item)

[TxSilver]

These are very nice Oriental elephants. I believe they are jadite glass from China. I see a lot of them and think they are so pretty.

[chopin-liszt]

Is it possible he's been made by one of the exceptional makers such as Liuligongfan or (is it?) Titot, using their Pate-de-verre technique? The technique has been very refined, often resulting in perfectly clear glass items of stunning beauty.

http://www.liuli.com/en-us/pata_de_verre.aspx

http://www.liuliusa.com/

[Max]

Right...so maybe pate-de-verre?  Edit:  Just realised Sue's mentioned that.  I'm useless on this thread!  )   

[chopin-liszt]

You're never useless, anywhere Max.    - can you remember the name(s?) of the other very high quality Chinese maker(s?) doing this sort of thing?

[chopin-liszt]

I found this thread which might be of interest...

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,33462.0.html

[glasseyed]

Thanks for the replies, I did consider that he might be made of something else but he has a bubble near the bottom of one leg and the soles of his feet appear to be fire polished. However he is a very similar design to the Jadite ones so China would seem quite likely (big area :wsh:).

So if I can get this straight there is jadite stone and jadite glass which is pate-de-verre (makes sense to me that he is made of the latter).

I have just spent three walking round the antiques fair (no goodies found), so it's ten minutes "feet up" with the poodles before dinner for me :phew: