Topic: Czech Oroplastic Atomizer

[Ohio]

Picked this up a week ago & I know there were multiple producers of the oroplastic treatment, Moser, Goldberg, Adolf Rasche, Walther, Karl Palda, Hoffmann, etc.

My question is there any way to tell one from another?
This is unmarked, 8” height & 2 ½” diameter around the ball portion. There are approx five (5) scenes surrounding the ball. Is this more likely 30s or 20s?

Thanks for any input. Ken

[Paul S.]

Ken  -  you may have already used the Board's search, but if not then these two links may be of some interest, although appreciate they probably won't give the answer you want.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?topic=25879.msg142981#msg142981
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,48682.msg274401.html#msg274401

Looks to be a far from easy area for positive id, with period anywhere from 1910 to the late 1930's, and seems you can add VSL to your list of producers.                As an uneducated guess I'd be tempted to go with 1930's.
Wish you luck.

[Anne Tique]

I don't intend to sound nasty, but you can forget about VSL....

Two different concepts, materials and techniques...

The galvanoplastie technique was indeed a concept designed by Ledru but  usually the whole item was galvanized in copper on a layer of silver, with just a few exceptions and was done between 1910 and 1922/1923. The early, unmarked items were done under commission by Ledru, at the SA 'Le Métallisation' in Lille, France because VSL didn't have a workshop yet installed at VSL. This was done in 1918 and the production lasted only for 5/6 years.

The mentioned vase 'Cortège' has got a different technique and is part of the early 'Danse de Flore' series, for which 24 Ct gold was used. Note that only the subjects/persons are covered with gold, not part of the bottle or vase like this atomizer.

So basically, for the galvanoplastie technique copper was used and gold on the Danse de Flore, like the vase Cortège and the blue box in the link.

The 'Améthyste' series from VSL that looks like this atomizer  was done from 1926 until 1937, but the difference is that it was double cased from the inside out and that's missing here.

[Paul S.]

dear Anne Tique - would never interpret your comments as nasty - your in-depth knowledge regarding this subject sounds impressive - and assuming English isn't your first language then it's better than some of the natives we get on the Board

[Anne Tique]

Thank you Paul, that's really kind of you to say that, but I guess you know what I was trying to say....I didn't mean to sound like a 'knowitall' when it comes to VSL, because I'm not... but I guess we're all the same, we know what we know... point.

Coming back to this item, I guess it's better to look further towards the east, as suggested earlier as well as  in the links... but personally I wouldn't be able to put a house on it... if that makes sense.

[Ohio]

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated. Delay due to our flu vaccine missing the boat this year in the U.S. so for the first time in years on Sunday I got hammered as well as DW. Went to MD monday morning & we are on Tamiflu. Bad stuff when you are pushing 70.