Topic: MDG or Craft Glass Ltd. green bottle , was silver foil used in the decoration ?

[Ivo]

Silver and gold foil do not oxidise. I see no silver foil here. It would not make sense either, as the stuff is expensive and you would rather not use it on the underside of an opaque piece.
I also do not see silver dissolved in the glass, this would produce a deep translucent honey colour and you'd be off your head if you covered that over.
I see silver chloride applied to the surface, and perhaps reduced instead of oxidised - the result of an incorrect oven temp. But only an experienced glass maker/ oven technician can shed light on this effect - and they're thin on the ground....  So really, I'm blond.

[chopin-liszt]

The bits of stuff that look like foil in the textured Mdina bottle image I posted, do sparkle, from under the casing.

I have a green MDG stoppered bottle which really, really looks like jig-sawed foil; it is both honey and ochre coloured and it is cased. No sparkles.
I suspect we might need to ask somebody who was there at the time about this.

[Patrick]

I suspect we might need to ask somebody who was there at the time about this.

Unfortunately Alfred Summat ( ex MDG glassblower that was there at the start of MDG ) left before these were made so we are not going to solve the conundrum by that path ..... Here is a link to viewing my Blue MDG Bottle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lXnJ7lXGnU

[chopin-liszt]

So, (for want of a better expression) if we were to refer to these designs as being the more sophisticated Studio Art glass pieces produced at MDG - the stuff made by Boffo using glass and silver, rather than the paperweights and other more bread-and-butter production,

are you saying that there art-ier bits were made late on in MDG production - not at the beginning, at all?

(It doesn't seem to make any logical sense to me, I'd have thought that, as they were still using their own take on what was done at Mdina, that would be the early stuff, branching out into more commercial stuff later.

[Patrick]

I believe ( But I do need to check ) that it was only after Boffo joined did the Mdina like pieces were made.........   The Chinese were there to teach the Maltese and left after they had taught them.

 The recently found Video shows most of the early items displayed on a large table........ none of it is Mdina like.

I will ask Alfred if they ever made any Mdina 'Lookalikes'

Cheers,

Patrick.

[Patrick]

Hi,

I have a theory that it was only when the Italians bought MDG that Boffo joined them.........

This theory is something that my good friend Wolfie is UNHAPPY with, however if we knew exactly when Boffo left Mdina that would help.
My theory has the problem that there are pieces with Mdina influence that have MDG labels...... Maybe they used old labels ?

It will be interesting to have confirmation from Alfred as to the MDG production pieces while he was working there.

Cheers,

Patrick.

[Baked_Beans]

Ivo , This bottle and stopper are cased in clear, exactly like Sue's examples , so no surface decoration is going on here.

I remember searching the Times of Malta adverts. when it was possible to still search the archives without having to have a full membership . There was a point in time when Mdina stated in their adverts that they were the first and original Maltese glass company and that their glass shouldn't be confused with others....or words to that effect ...this isn't a direct quote . I cant remember the exact wording but it was something like that.

 It might be worth checking the archives again and looking at Mdina's adverts in the newspaper as it might give an indication as to when MDG started to produce similar glass designs. Cheers, Mike

[Patrick]

It might be worth checking the archives again and looking at Mdina's adverts in the newspaper as it might give an indication as to when MDG started to produce similar glass designs. Cheers, Mike

Hi Mike,

 I am on the case and will get every reference I can find to all Maltese glass over the years 1967 to 1990

Cheers,

Patrick.

[Patrick]

It will be interesting to have confirmation from Alfred as to the MDG production pieces while he was working there.


Patrick.

I have just had confirmation from Alfred that whilst he was working at MDG he saw no art glass in the Mdina style being made........ 

He will retry to find out from friends as to the date Boffo arrived at MDG.

Cheers,

       Patrick.

[Baked_Beans]

That's good news Patrick, I hope Alfred will be able to discover more...I'm sure there must be some photographs of the exhibition too ! I might subscribe to the Times of Malta also !