Topic: Mdina button top fish vase

[chilternhills]

Just to share a picture of the latest addition to Isle of Wight Glass Museum: a cobalt blue Mdina button-top fish vase, almost certainly made by Michael Harris. It was probably made early in 1969. The vase is 18.5 cm wide and 14 cm tall and has the characteristic V shaped indentation caused by a paddle when shaping the piece. I know of a couple more in collector's hands, but it is a rare piece. It will be in the museum cabinets soon for all to enjoy. 

Anton

[Vitreo94]

Ah, now I know who was outbidding me  a fine fish vase indeed, absolutely stunning! Congratulations and I look forward to seeing it where it belongs (though I hate to say it ) in November when I visit!

[chopin-liszt]

The v-shape isn't created by paddles, it is created by dipping the sides of the gather into the hot glass in the pot. The v shape appears where the gathers don't meet in the middle.

[chilternhills]

Yes, you are right. What I meant to say was paddles are used to shape the heavy wings on each side, which in the process creates a V shape in the middle. I missed one word out: "by using a paddle when shaping the piece"

I look forward to seeing you in November. I hope to give a tour of the museum after the IOWSG collectors event.

[glassobsessed]

I wondered who won this one, well done Anton. If you ever get bored of it let me know!

For what it is worth it does not look like the cobalt blue to me.

More early fish vases here, the large example on page two is exceptional:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,55865.0.html

John

[chilternhills]

The colour of the vase is identical to the one shown on page 31 of Mark Hill's book and he calls it cobalt blue. The colour rendering in the book is probably accurate. To me the posted picture is the same too.

[glassobsessed]

We have discussed which blue is cobalt a few times, it is not made easy by many digital cameras having limitations when it comes to differentiating between blues.

My old camera could not tell the difference between the two blues in the following fish vase, the new camera makes a much better job of it. The central bubble is the typical pale blue that is more often found, the wings were formed by two dips in cobalt blue. The cobalt blue has a purple hue, when you have a piece with cobalt in your hand it makes it much easier to see the difference.

I suspect that fish vase on page 31 is not actually cobalt blue (if so, not the first error in the book).

[chilternhills]

Your vase looks the same colour as mine. I think the difference in apparent blueness is that your vase is backlit whereas I laid my vase down on a piece of white paper to take the photo. The blue looks darker on mine as a consequence.

[glassobsessed]

Take a backlit photo and see then. It is not a question of how dark the blue is, it is the colour or hue of the blue that is different.

[chilternhills]

That is what I was trying to say. The hue of your vase is the same as mine.