Topic: Is this Millefiori jug genuine? Help needed please.

[Jayne]

Hi there everyone, I wonder if anyone can tell me if this is a genuine Millefiori Jug, and who the maker may be please?

[Jayne]

Some more pics now I've got the hang of the file attachment thingy. 

[TxSilver]

Your vessel does look like Murano glass. I've seen many pieces that have murrines like this. They emulate a design made for Salviati by Fratelli Toso back in the 1890s. I don't know who makes them or the dates. So, yes, your glass is millefiori and probably Murano glass. Beyond that, I am of no help.

[Jayne]

Your vessel does look like Murano glass. I've seen many pieces that have murrines like this. They emulate a design made for Salviati by Fratelli Toso back in the 1890s. I don't know who makes them or the dates. So, yes, your glass is millefiori and probably Murano glass. Beyond that, I am of no help.

Thank-you very much Anita. I've seen some Fratelli Toso around, but it seems different due to the murrines being so stretched and shiny, almost like ceramic, so I wanted to be sure.

[TxSilver]

The pieces they made for Salviati looked different than the pieces they made for themselves. Your vase looks more fragmented and the handle is not very artistic. But I still believe it is Murano glass.

[Jayne]

Ok thanks very much once again Anita.

[KevinH]

Something similar ...

Full item: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-15134
Form of top: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-15133
Base: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-15132

Size: top of handle to base = 15 cm / 6 inch

I bought this as an example of its type when I became interested in millefiori items. That was about 1994. I have always accepted that it is probably Murano, but wondered about the rather "open" look of the cane slices and the rather "messy" effect where many of the canes have joined (or have not separated) during the making. This seemed unlike most of the Murano millefiori items I had seen in books, or the few I had seen at auctions, which were said to be 19th century. This piece has been formed by picking up canes onto a clear gather and then working to shape, causing the various "patches" in many parts between the canes.

The base photo shows that the piece appears to have no pontil mark, just a slight indentation, but there is some evidence of a tiny piece of clear glass which is presumably the pontil scar - otherwise, how was the top formed?.

I was therefore of the opinion that these items, which have a "glossy" appearance to the canes, were 20th century "tourist wares". The canes in my item, however, seem almost Chinese in their structure, but I still feel they are likely to be Murano, but which maker - I have no idea.

[KevinH]

And then I remembered I had posted an image of my small vase before ... in a message from Oct 2009 ...
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,29358.msg158802.html#msg158802

Within that message, member Pinkspoons concluded through a reference to yet another message that his item was "Moretti". However, Moretti canes are known to have been used, and still are, by many makers and not just in Murano! So I still think, as does Anita, I believe, that the maker of these items is as yet unknown.

But the earliest of the two other messages gives definite evidence of typical Moretti canes, including an exact match to those in my vase. So I am happy that the canes are Moretti - even though I had forgotten I was happy about it 2 years ago!

[Jayne]

Thanks so much for all the info Kevin. I spotted some interesting items on a famous selling site, item no 250786086610 has murrines almost identical to mine but a totally different vase/bottle type item, and no's 220736289928 and 250809599720 bear resemblances to yours. I suppose as more items emerge we may discover the truth, thanks again.

[KevinH]

Yeah. The canes in the third eBay item you mentioned are identical to those in mine, and the base seems to be finished in the same way, but more "roughly" than mine, according to the listing details.