Topic: pulegoso swan ID help please

[bOBA]

Hi everyone,

I found this poor lonely swan last week at the back of a shop and I rescued it..... It is made using an old fashioned bubble glass pulegoso style technique, which has been used at various times in different countries. Pulegoso swans do not seem that common and I am keen to know if anyone recognises this piece at all, whether it may be old or just made using old techniques. There is quite a lot of work in it, a crimped tail and crimped wings, very dirty glass full of furnace material.... approx 12cm tall, slightly green throughout.... country of origin seems unclear... any comments welcome...

Robert (bOBA)

[flying free]

I'm probably way out but the first instinct as soon as I saw it was Emanuel Beranek  - I suppose because the finish, texture, pulegoso reminds me of his vases somewhat.  She is incredibly pretty and I'm not a huge fan of birds in glass.
m

[chopin-liszt]

The effect is excellent - and rather like the lovely turquoise vase Mac posted a pic of in the early Beranek discussion thread.

I din't think this immediately - m is responsible for that - but I'm agreeing.

I also agree, this is a beautiful thing - and I normally detest glass swans.

[rocco]

Technically it does look very similar to the Beranek pulegoso I think (the glass having a sort of fibrous appearance).

I had a look through the pattern books (but Robert surely has done that already ), and the only swan-like pieces I could find are PN 5014 and 5015; neck / head and feathers are similar, but the shapes are more like bowls with applied swan features...
And no idea if they have been made in pulegoso glass.

Michael

[johnphilip]

Cant add anything other than its absolutely stunning but then i do love Swans .I would have been pleased to have found that one.... so elegant . wheres Mr Green gone?

[dirk.]

Interesting piece, Robert. Not a typical colour for Beranek though... 
I´m wondering if it might be 30´s venetian rather than czech because of
the colour, but italian pulegoso is out of my comfort zone.

[bOBA]

thanks for your comments everyone!

Pulegoso style glass can be extremely frustrating when it comes to attribution. The technique of early Beranek pulegoso style glass and 1920's-1930's Venetian can seem very similar and also the technique itself can allow a small outfit, even without paperwork, to produce interesting pieces.... I was even wondering if Czech or Italian could be added English!! I am possibly thinking as an unsubstantiated guess, 1920's small Italian family with great skill just making tourist pieces to get by. The absence from the Beranek pattern book of this swan and no concave polished pontil made me think early Beranek less likely, though the glass looks plausible as far as technique goes.... and exceptions are known from every factory.

I am impressed that everyone thinks it is a skilful piece of work, even if the glass quality is basic, this seems to be the case in person too... Authorship seems (in some cases where glass-making is concerned) to have been unimportant at the time, hopefully a firm attribution is not impossible....  but then again, just enjoying the glass is paramount......... and it would be terribly boring if every piece on GMB had the email address of the maker on the bottom, there would be a very small forum! At least the swan is relocated safely and can now rest, where it can have hope of being confidently identified one day,


Robert (bOBA)

[rosieposie]

I think she is beautiful boBa.....I was hoping for quite a different relocation....to Hampshire....my collection of swans is growing,  and I believe all swans should be grouped together,  so if you ever decide to list this beauty for sale,  I am your certain buyer.........however,  that said,  I am so pleased you like her and is loved for its own beauty.

[flying free]

just musing out loud, the colour does remind me of a green Ikora vase as well 
m

[johnphilip]

Or mushy peas .