Topic: Help please on a new puchase......... Lollipop vase.

[chriscooper]

I am sure the lollipop [wish someone would have made a better name for it] is right  thought must agree the photos are really weird maybe they are scans?
Did you buy it the U.K Patrick ?

Chris

[Patrick]

Hi,

Well I am in glass heaven.......

The vase has arrived and is 100% MDG in my opinion. It is identical in colour to a piece I have with an MDG label. It also has the slightly unusual flatting finish on the base that is found on MDG pieces.

It came with a handwritten label on the base that said Malta 2002. I suspect that was put on after a trip to Malta.

Here is link to the large image https://plus.google.com/photos/103806320272106271096/albums/6077506312404706417/6077506318413685746?banner=pwa&pid=6077506318413685746&oid=103806320272106271096

Cheers,

            Patrick.

[chopin-liszt]

Much better image. I don't know what the seller did with his ones, but they were weird.
However, it might still have been made at Mdina, unless there is something distinctive of MDG manufacturing there, such as an oddly finished-off polishing of the base.
I'm not sure what you mean by "unusual flatting finish".
I'm pleased for you that it's not a bit of contemporary Chinese that just happens to resemble Maltese glass accidentally. I didn't think it would be, but could not be 100% sure.

[Patrick]

unless there is something distinctive of MDG manufacturing there, such as an oddly finished-off polishing of the base.
I'm not sure what you mean by "unusual flatting finish".

Hi Sue,
Yes it has got that flatting/polishing to the base that is not Mdina but is MDG.

I will try to take a pic. of it , it is like the vase that is next to it in the photo and also the conche shell.

[chopin-liszt]

Is that the one where you can still see gouges, but is sort of slightly matt polished?

[Patrick]

Yes.......

[chopin-liszt]

MDG then, not Mdina.

[WhatHo!]

I know what Patrick means by this base and we call it a 'Battuto' base (taken from the cutting on Murano vases).
My MDG labelled whale has exactly the same feature, its not highly polished its slightly buff and if you catch it the light and move it around you can see it is slightly faceted. I'm not sure what causes this but IMHO they can't have used a large diamond flattening disc. Maybe a smaller fine stone type wheel was used that might have been snatching at it?
Im sure however this is not a Mdina feature.

[glassobsessed]

I have a couple of oddities here when it comes to Mdina base finishes, although the majority of bases are ground and polished flat at some stage I have seen most possibilities that I can think of. The blue and purple fish vase in the photo has a ground and unpolished base. Textured bottles can have both ground and polished and just ground pontil marks as well as flat polished bases. Drinking glasses have a snapped mark, the blue vase in the photo has a huge 'prunt' stuck into the base kicking the inside up with a wide polished out pontil mark. Not sure why, perhaps the base would have been too thin to attach a rod and needed to be made more substantial.

Saying that, Patrick's vase is all MDG to my eye too.

[Patrick]

Hi John,
 Thanks for your reassuring comment.

I have just looked at your collection on Picassa and you have some superb pieces.

Is the large blue/red fish vase you show above signed Mdina?..... If it isn't signed could it be MDG?....... They did a blue and red that could have been used to make it.

Regards,
                Patrick.