Topic: Mystery Maltese Glass - Mdina/Michael Harris?

[goyjus]

Need some help with identifying this piece.

I know it's Maltese as it says 'Present from Malta!' on the base together with the names of the givers.

I was wondering if it may be by Michael Harris. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Many thanks

[Greg.]

interesting item, out of curiosity what are the names on the base?

[Lustrousstone]

Definitely Mdina 
It's from Mike, Betty, Timothy and Jonathan

Well done

[chopin-liszt]

I'd really like to see more images!

The top part looks like early Mdina, the bottom part doesn't.  

I can't work out if it says "Present from Malta! With all our love, Mike, Betty, Timothy and Jonathon.", or Kate, Betty, Timothy and Jonathon.

I know Michael Harris was known as Mike, I don't know if his wife Elizabeth is ever known as Betty, (she signs my Christmas card "Elizabeth", but that might be her way of doing the Collectors' Club cards - close personal friends might be different), the sons are Timothy and Jonathon.

I can't work out what colour the bottom part is, exactly, or how the colours work in it, or how they work in with the top part.
I'd like to see a pic of the inside of the rim - to see how the layers of glass work together, and to see if there are manufacturing or tool marks in it.

[glassobsessed]

What a lovely looking piece of glass, photos with a white background on a white surface will help - the dark surface underneath results in the bottom half of the vase turning into a mirror.

Dimensions too please.

Looks like a variation on the inside out vase shape.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

John

[Greg.]

The shape reminded me a little of your Yellow Ochre Inside Out vase, John.

Difficult to see the detail, from the photo's, but the base does seem intriguing, especially the colour. Still a little confused by the Betty name, I presume it must just have been a name used for Elizabeth by the family..?

[chopin-liszt]

The blue looks completely wrong.

And there are so many folk out there adding names to bits of glass for reasons of their own, I'm not really paying too much attention to the names yet - as I've said, I don't know if Elizabeth is ever known as Betty. (I'm far too much in awe of her to even consider the notion, I'd find it easier to call the queen "Betty" to her face than Elizabeth Harris!)

[Greg.]

Would be interested to see what Ron Wheeler and Timothy Harris think of this piece, would be worth emailing them for their thoughts.

[goyjus]

Wow. What a response. Thanks very much. Just to confirm the inscription reads:

'Present from Malta! with all our love Mike, Betty, Timothy and Jonathan.'

If memory serves, my mother bought the piece at Cheltenham Racecourse at least 20 years ago. Will check this with her. I've always loved it, so she passed it on to me along with another piece a year or so ago. The other piece is a more traditional Mdina axe head vase and it's signed in full 'Mdina Glass 1976' plus a signature that I can't read. I was told Michael Harris had left by this point. I will post some shots of it. Would be hugely grateful if you could help me identify the maker.

In the meantime, here are some more pics of the smaller piece. It's a little over 3in high by 4in wide.

[Greg.]

Could you add a few new shots of the base please..?

Just to mention, I would suspect the name on the fish is Dobson. Always hard to decipher.

Thanks
Greg
 :sun: