Topic: Help needed please from a Mdina collector......

[chopin-liszt]

I've got a Fish vase and a cube vase in this pattern. The cube one is interesting, because it's a post-Harris design - possibly Dobson - it's a sort of "non-flattened ice-cut lollipop" base shape.

This is why I want to know if Vicente Boffo stayed at Mdina for a short while - even if only a fortnight - after Michael Harris left and before Boffo went to MDG.
We do know he was grieving following the dreadful and horrible death of Ettore - it's quite possible he didn't know where he was.

I've also got what I call "chimney" shape vases - one MDG but the other is decidedly the ribbony Mdina style.
And I have a real (flattened) ice-cut lollipop - and a chalice, with the Harris period shape of bowl - but the stem is un-knopped - a bit of a strange one, as it was Papa Boffo (Vicente) who was known to have put the knops on the stems of chalices.

Like John, I'm sorry, I reallly can't think of any alternatives for your ducks, Patrick.
Do you think any of them are actually good enough to be Boffo?

[Patrick]

Do you think any of them are actually good enough to be Boffo?

Hi Sue,
 I have not said that they are by Boffo anywhere in this topic and I agree that fat duck is unbelievably ugly .......... The only duck shown on the topic that I am certain is by the maestro himself is that owned by Trudy.

I do however still think the fat duck is in Mdina colours, you mention lack of silver chloride streaks , but if you look at the head they can be seen running with the bubbles. I will do a better pic. later but have shown what I mean below. I have also shown a Boffo fish that is in the same colours and has silver chloride in it.
I suspect some are getting bored by this topic but it is "good to talk"

Best wishes, Patrick.

[chopin-liszt]

 :pb:
Right, Patrick, I'm getting there with what you're saying about Boffo -   i was thinking you were wanting to attribute these ducks to him - and, given the poor quality, I was getting very bemused.  :spls:
To me, the streaks in the head look like enamel streaks, not silver chloride, (which I do see, enclosed in the fat duck bibbles).

The effects in the fish are very nice - though the silver chloride patches look more like the effect produced in early Mtarfa pieces - big, rounded greeny/browny/yellowy flat blobs - I wonder if Paul Said first saw how to produce this effect from the Boffos??
Do you know if your fish is by Vicente or Ettore?

[Patrick]

:pb:
Do you know if your fish is by Vicente or Ettore?

Yes it is 100% Vicente................. I have this red and White fish that was made at Whitefriars for Boffo's servitor Joey Jones.  Ettore replaced Joey and I am sure he was nowhere near as skilled as his father Vicente. See image below.
Regards,
           Patrick.

PS. I should add that the fishes are hollow.......
 

[chriscooper]

Great topic Pat carry on  :sun:
Sue, when you say "poor Quality' do you mean the glass used or the workmanship or both?
Not seen many pieces MDG the ones I have seemed poor quality on both counts
Obviously appreciate Boffo was not there long and his trainee's had to learn fast, but when I think Boffo and the pieces I have seen I always think quality on both counts.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/MADEINMALTAAMBERGLASS#5572061012286934194

Only find these photos, the other 2 were animals also , think one one blue and the other also amber, any photos of anything attributed to him while he was there? vases, bowls etc. available?
thanks Chris :sun:

[chopin-liszt]

My use of "poor quality" referred to the workmanship of the ducks, Chris.

I'm not that fussed about materials, apart from what I can learn or deduce from their use.
 
da Vinci used materials quite different to those used today, which could perhaps could be described as being "cruder" or of "poorer quality" than contemporary oils and acrylics - but this puts no bad reflection on his work as an artist.
(actually, I think the old materials produced better colours).

Does anybody know if Mike Rayner, who knew Vicente Boffo, has been asked about the dates he was doing what in Malta? Somebody (Wolfie?) promised to ask, months ago, but there has been nothing heard since.

[Patrick]

Hi,
 This morning I had a call from Adam ( We were both walking our dogs ) and we talked 'Silver Chloride'.............
When Sam Herman was blowing at Adam's last year he made an indent in the body and then dropped silver chloride into it before he then cased it.
 Adam has used it a little and he says it can run very freely and is difficult to use. When I am next in London I shall call in and together will do a gather, then marver into Silver Chloride , then into the bubble dip mould ( used for the ducks ) then cover this ball in glass and see what happens !!!!!!
 I hope to show an image of a Boffo solid fish here very soon, same colours as my duck I think .
 Regards,
            Patrick.
 

[glassobsessed]

Interesting experiment and fun too I hope. 

John

[chopin-liszt]

 :hiclp:

So is the silver chloride in a crystalline form when it is dropped in?
This is getting really interesting!
(I've sort of discovered that the main feature in just about everything I love is some sort of interaction with glass and silver in some form.)

[Lustrousstone]

I would imagine it is a white powder; a solution would just cause masses of bubbles and it only seems to be soluble in nasty things any way. The colour doesn't occur until contact with the hot glass and your iridescence is elemental silver.  That's my interpretation from here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_chloride