Topic: Moser or Harrach deep intaglio vase?

[albglass]

I bought this sure that is was a Harrach intaglio, because it is a solid topaz color and not the two-tone or clear glass that is shown in Baldwin's Moser book.  And Balwin in his text only mentions two-tone, with ruby, cobalt, emerald, and amethyst as colors used in deep engraving (but it is phrased "in its most common form)."  But after comparing it against a two-tone example, I am now not so sure it is Harrach.  You can see the beautifully polished pontil in the second picture, and the entire vase is polished on every surface.  I know Harrach often used gold highlights in their intaglio glass, but this has none, and I can't put my finger on it, but the shape of the flower just seem more "Moser-like" than Harrach.  I just don't know what to think...

[Ohio]

You might try contacting Moser directly as the are prompt in their replies. Ken
customerservice [AT] moser-glass [DOT] com

Mod: Email address disguised to prevent it from being harvested by spam bots. Please don't post full email addresses.

[albglass]

Thanks so much for the Moser address, Ohio.  I wasn't thinking they would identify turn of the century glass. I'll give it a try!

[albglass]

Here is the response from Moser--it was quite the surprise. I had no idea that Zelezny Brod did deep intaglio engraving!   

FROM MOSER: "I have forwarded your pictures to the identification department and was
informed that this glass vase was not produced at the Moser glassworks
as the design and used engraving does not correspond to the Moser
production. This vase seems to be manufactured at the glassworks in
Železný Brod in the North Bohemia."

[Mike M]

Hmmm...

that's becoming one of their standard replies

Mike

[albglass]

Mike, your response made me curious...as a test, I just sent Moser a picture of an applied glass fish vase.  If they come back and tell me it's Zelezny Brod and not Moser or Harrach, I am going to be very suspicious of any non-Moser attributions from them.  Cathy

[Mike M]

Hi

Quote from a similar strand only 3 days ago from Anik R -sorry not sure how to cross link strands

'In the meantime, I wrote to Moser customer service (I figured it was worth a shot  ) and got this 'strange' reply:  "...Each Moser glass piece is always signed on the bottom with a Moser brand mark. Your glass items seem to be made in the glassworks in Železný Brod in North Bohemia as the style of manufacturing correspond to their production." '

I suppose they MIGHT be right both times.

cheers

M

[antiquerose123]

Mike, your response made me curious...as a test, I just sent Moser a picture of an applied glass fish vase.  If they come back and tell me it's Zelezny Brod and not Moser or Harrach, I am going to be very suspicious of any non-Moser attributions from them.  Cathy

 :thup: :thup: :thup:

Good idea to do a Test -- Will be interesting to see what they say and IF------>

Hmmm...

that's becoming one of their standard replies

....If that is one of there Standard replies -- then a lot of things might have to be re-looked at, and researched more.

Very Interesting....  :tof:     Good Test and idea !!! :thup:

[krsilber]

By "solid topaz" do you mean it's topaz through the whole piece, and not cut-to-clear?  If it is cut-to-clear, the sharp delineation between the colored and clear areas suggest it is stained.  Wouldn't that rule out Moser and Harrach?

From the way Moser put it, it's possible they weren't referring to a particular company.  Here, for example, is one company in Železný Brod that does glass engraving. http://glass.cz/veselous/

[albglass]

And the light bulb finally went off in my head, given your last comments.  The intaglio vase is topaz on the bottom, top, sides and inside, so I had assumed that it had been cased like a sandwich with a thin outer topaz layer and a thicker clear inner layer.  But of course a staining of the entire piece would also create the same effect, and is much more likely.  It is quite the expert job, as I had checked the piece to see if there were scratches, little splotches, or a missing spot of color that would indicate a stained piece, and the color is absolutely consistent throughout.  The scratches on the base are not clear, but they aren't very deep. Even the pontil is topaz, which actually may be an indication that it was stained.

Also, even if it has an outer casing of topaz, you are correct that it would rule out Moser, since the Art Nouveau intaglio pieces have the inner layer of color, which is the complete opposite of this vase that has the color on the outside.  I am not aware of modern work having the design cut deeply around the sides of the piece, in the style of the Art Nouveau deep intaglio engraving, but I wouldn't be surprised if there has been a resurrection of the style at some point, so perhaps Moser's attribution is correct.

I did send a photo of my applied glass fish vase to Moser for their opinion (attached).  It is the standard blue crackle glass, with two blue applied glass fish that have been enamelled quite beautifully on the surface. I have seen these attributed to either Moser or Harrach. Moser replied
"On Friday I was informed from the Moser specialists that this glass vase was not manufactured by Moser glassworks either. The used design and colours correspond more to production in the glassworks in Nový Bor in North Bohemia but we are not absolutely sure about it." Harrach is in the north, but not where I would call the Novy Bor region, but more over to the East near old Silesia (Novy Svet), but then again, Moser did say they weren't sure, and perhaps crackled glass fish vases were done by more than the 2 companies?