Topic: Vase with aventurine specks - origin?

[dirk.]

Hiya!

I´m posting this vase on behalf of a friend, who contacted me and asked for my opinion. Since I feel
rather undecided about it, your opinion would - as always - be highly appreciated.
The interior layer of the vase is a purple-ish brown, the outside with marvered in specks of white and
aventurine. It has two applied handles made of streaky white and different shades of brown / beige.
There´s a snapped off, unfinished pontil mark to the base.

height ~31cm, diameter ~21cm

Any ideas?  :or:

[TxSilver]

Interesting vase. It looks like Murano glass to me. It reminds me of some of the old vases made in the 19th Century by companies like Fratelli Toso. It may be the look that the glassmaker was trying to achieve. I'm interested in seeing what other people think of the vase.

[obscurities]

It may only be perspective of the photos, but the handles do not look symmetrical to me. The ground also appears to be an amethyst kind of color, and the combination of colors to me do not seem Italian. To me the piece "feels" too awkward in several ways to be vintage Italian. In both Execution and also in decor.

I am going to say that I think it is Modern Chinese, as they are also using copper aventurine such as this to imitate the early Italian glass..... It is also quite large, in the style of modern Chinese...

Just my humble opinion....

Please correct me if my observation of the non-symmetry of the handles is incorrect. Even if so, the color combination to me is too clumsy...

[langhaugh]

My first thought was 19th C Murano, or at least someone trying to imitate it. I don't have a problem with the handles, and, while I can't say I like the colour combination, it seems appropriate for the period. See, for example, Item 132 on p.156 of "The Colours of Murano in the XIX Century." What I would question is the irregular manner in which the avventurina is applied. I'd even consider Salviati as a possible maker.

David

[TxSilver]

The end of the 19th Century was a sloppy time in glass production. Some of the most awkward glass came from this time, particularly from Salviati. This aventurine and white inclusions of this vase reminded me of the F. Toso fish vase that is pictured in the book that David mentioned. It is what made me think that this could be 19th Century or was made to resemble it.

My opinion on the vase depends on what decision is being made. If I owned it, I would hold it until I could figure out exactly what I had. Perhaps we should switch this over to the Murano section in a day or two. Someone may see it there and have some idea.

[dirk.]

Many thanks for your helpful comments! I know it´s sometimes hard to judge from pictures alone.
Personally I haven´t handled the vase either. I´ll ask the owner if there are any signs of wear...
My initial thoughts were similar to yours. If it should turn out to be chinese in the end I´d say
they´re really getting better and got the knack of using colour schemes more subtle finally...
   I didn´t seriously consider it to be an old piece to be honest, but - let´s see what the owner
says about signs of wear. My gut feeling says 1960´s onwards italian, made in an older style.
 

[dirk.]

I´ve had a phone call earlier and I think we can rule out chinese completely. The vase originates
from a household it had been kept in for at least 50 years.
There´s close to zero signs of wear, but the previous owner had been told to keep it safe by her
mother and it seems she succeeded.

[TxSilver]

I have to say I never consider wear to be telling when it comes to most 19th Century Venetian glass. It is so lightweight and has so little contact with the surface that wear is often not noticeable. I've had pieces that were 140 years old with bases that looked like they could have been made yesterday. The lightweight glass breaks and dings easily, but wear is not a big thing with them.

[Frank]

It looks to me like it has been clear cased, then the aventurine worked in the opposite direction and presumably cased again. Which is quite a lot of work and less than straight forwards.

the irregular manner in which the avventurina is applied

I'd call that consistent with the way the white is applied. All in all delightful. I'll leave others to date and origin, it ain't Scottish  :sc:

[obscurities]

I agree, as the presence of proper wear indicates age, but the lack of it does not indicate no age, just good care.  

Craig