Topic: Dating Mdina - early seahorse 1973

[flying free]

my treat will be if the tax office actually deliver the small rebate I am owed within the two weeks they claim they will   (hopefully will fund the airfare for my Barcelona trip with friend :rah:)
m

[rosieposie]

 From chopin-liszt:   " That one's Mtarfa - Phoenician make them too."


But they are all Maltese, aren't they Sue??

[chopin-liszt]

 :thud:
You waste glass money on holidays?

m - there's no hope for you.   :cry:

Phoenician, Mtarfa, Mdina and Gozo are all related to the island of Malta, yes, Rosie.
(But Gozo was set up and is run by English folk.)

[rosieposie]

That's possibly why the Gozo stuff looks different? I have got a few pieces....and some phoenician as well.

[chopin-liszt]

They all arose because of Michael Harris originally, but Gozo is the newest and had his input after he'd been at Isle of Wight Studio Glass, while the others arose from the work and teaching he'd done at Mdina. Paul Said, one of the original Mdina apprentices, set up Mtarfa, and Phoenician Glass was set up by Leonard Mulligan (on Manoel island). Gozo was set up by (the same) Leonard Mulligan and Rupert Brookes with Michael Harris.

[glassobsessed]

So can anyone give a link to an image of a Joseph Said complete Chess set......... Or even a Rook, Pawn etc.

As far as we know a set was made for a commission, it appears they were not made thereafter. How likely is it that the owner has posted photos of it? I appreciate this is no argument for it's existence, just it's non appearance.

As for Mdina seahorses in general, .
Three sold at an auction I attended on Saturday for thirty quid , there is 'one' born everyday.... Mind you I have seen an Ikea tat vase sell for twenty quid at that auction and you can find one of those (like a p1ss pot with a bent top) in every charity shop in the country.

Gozo generally make the most interesting glass from Malta these days, IMHO.

John

[rosieposie]

"Gozo generally make the most interesting glass from Malta these days, IMHO."

I have to agree with you there John....I have some Gozo ellies that are a delight, and a bright yellow Phoenician ellie that is different to any of the Mtarfa ones I have......

But back to the 'seahorses'......I have never really hankered after one, but I thought the pink Phoenician one was really rather more carefully made.

[Nemmie]

I always thought they were made because of the association that Malta has with Knights. As in the Knights of Malta.

I still think that makes sense bearing in mind they are made by all the Maltese glass works.

[Andy]

I agree with the Gozo comments
A bit off topic, im on holiday on the isle of wight for a few days with the parents! first time for 30 odd years or more!
Sunday, i watched Timothy Harris blowing glass , super stuff, prices of new IOW glass, not cheap!
I had to mention to him, that i had one of his Dads early crizzle stones  with original price sticker on it £8-2-6!
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,19092.0.html
he offered to buy it back at the same price 
My Dad, asked him for a photo with me, which he was glad to do. I will post it when i get home .
Cheers all,
Andy
 

[flying free]

Hope you're having a wonderful time Andy..and good weather.
Sue I have two obsessions, one is glass but the overriding one is travel.  Before kids we did a lot of travelling, now that is severely curtailed so any opportunity I have to go abroad I take, and one of my great loves is Spain, especially Barcelona  :rah: 
In defence of the seahorses, I've had a couple of them, quite large, given away as presents.  I have to say that I thought they made fantastic pressies especially for kids (one went to the goddaughter of a friend who is into horses) and also that many non-glassy people are especially attracted to them.  I guess so many wouldn't be made if they didn't sell, so perhaps it's just that glassy people don't particularly like them, but the general public do.
Personally I prefer a vase anyday  
m