Topic: Dartington FT59 Daisy Vase Colour

[george.gray]

Hello this is my first post on the site and I'm unsure if I will receive any feedback but fingers are crossed! I recently purchased a Dartington Medium size Daisy Vase in Flame Red. My concern is with the graduated colour throughout the vase,the colours graduate slightly from dark at the top to slightly paler at the bottom  . It was listed as Flame Red but the seller advised that it was more a graduated amber colour, I already have a small Flame Daisy vase and it is completely different in shade. The seller advised me that it is genuine and rare, can anyone help confirm it's authenticity?

[Bernard C]

Hi George, and welcome to the GMB.

Quote from Eve Thrower & Mark Hill, Frank Thrower & Dartington Glass, Mark Hill Publishing, 2007, p46, below a photograph of a Flame FT59 with some colour variation:-

The variation in colours on this example, indicates that pieces was probably a 'second' due to the thick neck and thin glass of the body which results in the widely varied orange and red colours.   Nevertheless these features are deemed highly appealing today.

Once you have fought your way past the terrible English and appalling punctuation, I think what they are trying to say is that it was probably classified as a second when produced but now is very collectable.

So don't be concerned.   It is much more likely to be authentic than a perfect, evenly coloured example.   Think about it.   Fakers don't usually fake seconds (except, perhaps, upside down WF drunken bricklayers)!

Bernard C. 

[glassobsessed]

Perfectly authentic and rare but not sure if that rarity would add value or not, depends how many people would want it I suppose.

Dartington's Flame red was achieved through heat striking - the glass starts out yellowish in colour but the application of heat turns it red. If the temperature reached is not even then there can be the kind of variation in colour you see in yours. Some colour variation is not unusual with Flame Red though yours is more prominent than most.

For an unstruck FT2 see: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,22159.0.html

John