Topic: Can anyone ID this little bird??

[isleofwight collector]

I am looking for any help to ID this little bird.

It is beautifully made and I thought possibly Murano, but there is no label.
In different lights I have noticed the clear glass changes colour (I have taken the pics as I bought it - it is in need of a little clean 

Any ideas would be greatfully received.

[rosieposie]

What a sweet little bird!  You mentioned the clear glass changes colour....it would be helpful if you could take a picture in whatever the 'other' light is so we can see the colour change.  Also,  does it go more blue or more green?
I think it is Murano and I would have thought it might be Seguso,  but there are other more knowlegeable  Murano experts on this site who hopefully will come along and have a look.

[isleofwight collector]

The clear outer glass changes to a blue in certain light - I will try and take a picture of the different colours.

[scavo]

I've less knowledge than Rosie but I there are couple of things that say Seguso to me too.

Have a look at the Seguso birds on Wayne's site http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/murano_glass/archimedeseguso_glass/archimedesegusoglass_home.htm

There are many more examples on the Murano Zoo http://sites.google.com/site/muranozoo/birds-4

[rosieposie]

It sounds as though the outer glass could be neodymium glass,  changing form a lilacy pink to a blue in neon lighting. (The long life bulbs and strip lights we have in kitchens.
I agree,  it looks very Seguso, point is,  which one?

[scavo]

there are also similarities to Salviati in the Murano Zoo.

Although not the same, there are strong similarities to Archimede Seguso's 'Dove' - but this is different bird - perhaps a robin?

[TxSilver]

These perky chicks drive me crazy. I have a couple that are in a similar spirit. I think they may be Archimede Seguso, but I don't know for sure. Yours I am even less sure about. The internal glass reminds me of other companies, but could be Archimede. A few of the companies had bird designs that look so similar that we can only guess until we find one with a label. We'll probably run across them one day when we least expect. That is always how it works for me.

[scavo]

As I've said before - I'm not very familiar with this type of glass so am just trying to learn from taking part. But I notice a few things on zooming in. There is a roughness around the eyes, tool markings on the wings and the lower body and one of the tail feathers is a bit squared off. Is this consonant with the work of the maestros? Or could it be the work of an apprentice?

[scavo]

just re read the post - maybe the roughness around the eye is dirt? And the squared tail feathers the angle of photo?

[TxSilver]

To answer the question about the work of the masters. Most of the amimals are far from perfect. A good example of imperfection is the work of Napoleone Martinuzzi. The faces of his animals tend to be well done, but the tails look like a child was playing with play-dough. Even the greatest masters had imperfections in their work. (Sometimes it seems to me that the greater the name, the more the imperfections back in the old Murano days.)

Eyes that are made by cutting bits of cane, then melting in the furnace often have pulls and inconsistencies. Some of the birds end up with eyes in different places on the face, making them look crazy. Tails are often made by flattening a pieces of glass, then snipping, shaping and reheating. It is okay for them to show evidence of the treatment. Many birds have squared off feathers. Some have feathers that are cut unevenly. All of these things are okay, though it is always good to try to find birds that have the most attractive features.

IOW's bird is a good one. Tooling marks are completely okay with art glass as long as they don't mar the beauty of the piece. There are certain fields that are important for viewing, so one wouldn't want a large tooling mark there, but in out of the way places, they are expected and acceptable.