Topic: Riihimaen decanter?

[scavo]

Is this the real thing?

comes with a stopper

on the base raised stamp R2. Stamp is to the right as you look at it.

[glassobsessed]

Looks good: http://www.designlasi.com/en/content/stella-polaris-decorative-bottle-1720-still-nanny-en
Comes in a bright uranium yellow too. :sun:

John

[scavo]

Thanks John,

I thought it was but I've looked at a few for sale on ebay and bubble pattern looked different. But on the link you sent it looks the same.

Also, mine has a stopper. I haven't seen one with a stopped before. On designlasi site they don't have stoppers either :huh:

Thanks for the lead. I have registered with them so can annoy them with my questions too!

[ahremck]

Seems very typical of a liqueur bottle.  I suspect from and Italian or Meditteranean origin.

Ross

[Max]

I don't have any of my books at hand, but I think this could be an Italian copy.  The plastic around the neck of the stopper strikes me as totally wrong.

[Greg.]

I think there's been similar discussions about the Riihimaki 'Emma' decanters before, which also sometimes have plastic necks on the stoppers. I think there's a thread or two on the GMB.

I have a feeling this is also an Italian copy similar to the Finnish Stella Polaris designs.

[scavo]

Ok. I am pretty sure there are 2 kinds (possibly more) kinds of Stella Polaris.

I always assumed mine was 'not the right one' until today and 'glassobsessed' John's link (see above) to the Finnish glass collector's site. Here I believe I've made a positive ID and mine is the genuine Stella Polaris. The bubble pattern looks the same to me.

The unresolved question is that of the stopper and why all the other's I've seen don't have it. I will indeed have to check the relevant thread above concerning a similar issue.

The others I saw were offered for sale on ebay. 1 was a uranium glass example. It was sold as Finnish and Stella Polaris. The bubble pattern was not the same as mine and not the same as those on the designlasi site. I would tend to trust a collector site over something seen on ebay (feel free to take me up on this, I use it too).

I do want to thank everyone for their continued contributions to this thread (and all my others). It really is a wealth of knowledge and everyone has been so helpful.

[Max]

The stamp that yours has on the bottom of R2 should prove conclusive if you can find the right person to ask.

[Greg.]

I've come across two pieces before with R1 marks to the base and did wonder about their significance at the time. I do remember finding a brief discussion on the web about these at the time, however, If I remember correctly I don't think there was a definitive conclusion.

I did purchase a piece of Riihimaki a few years ago now with an R1 mark to the base and after reading the above mentioned discussion about their significance, I did enquire with the dealer as to the pieces history, although nothing is for certain, he did comment that he purchased the item in Finland.

Perhaps the issue may just lie with the stopper rather than the bottle? I know there's been quite a few discussions generally about plastic stoppers on Riihimaki pieces. I have seen a few small Riihimaki bottles in different designs with cork stoppers, which I believe are original. Picture below of a verturipullo/Locomotive bottle with a cork stopper:

http://www.designlasi.com/en/content/veturipullo-locomotive-bottle-siiroinen-erkkitapio-en

Managed to dig out a couple of links discussing the Emma stoppers for you. still a little undecided, but interesting discussions nevertheless...

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,20743.0.html

http://fatlava.forummotion.com/t3788-blue-glass-moulded-decanter-stopper-for-id

[Max]

Thanks Greg...much as Josordini in those threads was saying it just didn't 'feel' right, the plastic stopper and the R2 on the base here feel Italian to me and not Scandinavian.  I've had a vase with base impressions saying 'Made in Italy' (from memory that was a copy of a Sklo Union vase) but I've never had a piece of Scandinavian glass with any lettering moulded into the base.

I don't like those Emma decanters either for similar reasons.