Topic: is this early Mdina?

[jakgene]

Hi - I just received this vase, which has been lost in the mail for about two months and just arrived yesterday  so I am very pleased to have finally received it. Looking at my Mark Hill Mdina book I have found the following that seem to indicate  :X: it may be an early piece. I would love to get confirmation or otherwise from the experts here!  It has a smallish button top - much smaller than some of my other pieces. It has an almost completely polished out concave pontil mark - it is still possible to see where the pontil mark was but it is smooth to the touch. The Mdina signature inscribed to the base is in very fine script, and very small compared to other later pieces that i have.

so - is it early? From the book the concave pontil mark seems to suggest 1969. And could the script be in Michaels' handwriting?? or am I just hoping too hard here???

fingers crossed!
JAK

[chopin-liszt]

 :thup:

It all looks right to me, including Michael Harris' writing of "Mdina".
These ink pots look good with stoppers, if you can find a spare one, stick it in it.

[jakgene]

Hi Sue, thanks for that.
what sort of stopper do they have? (not that I am likely to find a spare one - I bought this pot from Germany so it is  well travelled).

If you have a photo of one with  a stopper I'd appreciate seeing it. Thanks JAK

[chopin-liszt]

Stoppers do turn up, honest - they're often listed on their own on ebay.

I think it was fairly arbitrary whether they had stoppers or not. They're not made to fit exactly, they have a long "tail" bit, a lot narrower than most inside necks.

In the early days, a lot of Mdina was exported to Germany - it's not necessarily "well-travelled".

This particular ink pot has Mdina in Michael Harris' hand on the polished round pontil mark too!

[jakgene]

Thanks Sue, appreciate the photo  - I'll keep an eye out for a stopper.I can see similarities in the pattern trailing in yours and mine too.

BTW - if Malta to Germany to Australia isn't well travelled, what is??  :wsh:

regards

JAK

[chopin-liszt]

  ooops, not paying attention to your location!
But you're responsible for the Germany to Oz bit....... that doesn't really count!

These inkpots come in two shapes - these little squat pillow-like round-based ones, which come in varying (short) heights, and some slightly taller ones, with straight sides, sitting on a shaped small base.