Topic: S&W "Dolce Relievo" Cameo Glass cup and saucer

[oldglassman]

 Hi ,
           Maybe its the fact that this is cameo work in low relief as opposed to what we normally associate with cameo which is in high relief that's a little off putting to Sue.
  High relief below
cheers ,
       Peter.

[flying free]

if you run your nail over the pale pink to dark pink edge, can you feel the slightest 'raise' in the dark pink, over the light pink.
I'm attaching a picture of a piece that might be difficult to explain what I mean, but this piece has three layers, clear, white and dark blue. However because the dark blue has been cut back in parts to a very thin layer over the white, it appears much paler (though not as different as yours does) blue with the original dark blue layer just left in parts. The dark blue layer is the same layer as the polished layer left around the base.  It's just been cut away to a thinner layer so shows as pale blue giving the effect of three colour glass.

Hopefully you can see on the bottom photo, that some areas of the vines appear to be very dark blue and others a much paler blue and then some white showing as well.  All that blue is the same 'layer' as the dark blue polished border at the bottom.

 Your dark pink that's left as outlines may appear to have a greater 'change' in colour between the pale and dark pink because of the way it's been cut, i.e. quite definite outlines.

As per Peter's post
m

[flying free]

see above - and also I think the dark pink left on your cup and saucer has been polished (no idea how) so leaving it looking sheeny, deeper in colour and therefore adding to the perceptual difference between the dark and pale pink.
m

[chopin-liszt]

Flying-free described what I meant exactly - running your fingernail over the pale and deeper pinks, to see if there might be the tiniest edge, or using a magnifying glass to peer at them to see if there is a slight graduation.

Is it possible that such an item might be acid-polished after cutting, to make it all seem much smoother, as it is in "Rock-crytstal cut" pieces?

[mom2esf]

I don't have the cup in my hands right now so I can't feel it. I will be able to touch it again on Tuesday. It seems to me to have a shiny glaze over the entire surface so I may not be able to feel a ridge between the dark and the light pink. I will be able to tell much more when I have it in my hands thanks to you all telling me what I need to look for.

Oldglassman- In no way is it the quality of the carving you showed…

Flyingfree - That vase is to live for! I hope my drool didn't harm it...

Chopin-liszt - How would I tell the difference between a glaze and an acid polish?

[chopin-liszt]

Umm, I don't know really.
An acid polish will actually dissolve some of the glass, it gets rid of sharp edges from having been cut, leaving it much smoother and softer to the touch.

[mom2esf]

Does an acid polish leave the little "feet" marks from from where the supports are that a glaze will leave?

[chopin-liszt]

No. 
But that would be "peculiar" to ceramics, wouldn't it? It's not a technique used in glass, to my knowledge.

[mom2esf]

SO, Is glass ever glazed?

[flying free]

Not in the way ceramics are I don't believe (open to correction   )

I've been looking at the cup and saucer again and I'm wondering whether it is actually three layer colour, white cased in pale pink, cased in dark pink.
I guess then, the outline design would have been cut away, leaving a dark pink patterned layer on a white background.  From there, the dark pink would have been etched or cut in someway, back to leave the pale pink layer showing in parts but with the dark pink 'highlights' left on it where the artist wanted them to be.


The design is gorgeous.  I think for you to get the best price, a maker will need to be identified.
m