Topic: Early Mdina etched signature

[Marc1976]

Hi Andrew. I no longer have the paperweight but here's a couple of pics (I hope).

https://i.imgsafe.org/2b06eef6fb.jpeg

https://i.imgsafe.org/2b1855e4e7.png

[Lustrousstone]

This is Harris's "writing"

[chopin-liszt]

The mark on the pulled ear looks a bit spikey and a little dremmelly, I'd reckon it was possibly made by Maria - we used to think the spikey script was Dobson, but as we now know he did most of the marks and Maria did fewer, her writing must be the spikey kind and Dobson's the rounded.

[Patrick]

Unfortunately until I collect it from my sister's house I will not be able to study the signature in detail.

A dremel was not used until afterr Harris left, during Harris' time it was a diamond point engraver, never seen anything scratch signed with a point.

John

Regards,
 
Patrick.

[chopin-liszt]

I'm not completely au fait with the appearance of dremmelling, but the mark on the pulled ear is not in even, clean lines. It's almost a bit chipped around the edges and looks as if a vibrating tool was used.

[WhatHo!]

I have to disagree, I have used a dremel and a dremel grinds away the glass where as diamond point chips it away.

[chopin-liszt]

The mark looks to me as if something has ground it away, it has little round deeper bits in it.

I don't actually know how to tell the difference, I wasn't saying it was absolutely one or the other, just that the mark on the pulled ears is inconsistent, scrappy and spikey, compared to known Harris examples.
I've never used a diamond to scratch glass (eeek and shudder) or a dremmel.
I am only familiar with my Dad's dentist's drills.

[mhgcgolfclub]

Very interesting I only yesterday bought this heavy Mdina bowl. I thought the Mdina mark may have been in the hand of Michael Harris.

2 questions then is the bowl of an age that it could have been made by Michael Harris and could it have been signed by him .
Diameter 5.75"
Height 3"
Weight 1420gm

Thanks Roy

[chopin-liszt]

Yup, that's Harris' writing.
These great, thick heavy bowls are properly early and absolutely, utterly stunning pieces. They don't seem to have become recognised for what they are, yet though. The big fuss about early stuff seemed to be mainly about Fish, Onions and Crizzle Stones, so much other stuff got ignored, these bowls included.
I love them, they're so tactile as well as beautiful

Many of them do have lovely delicate "comet trail" features of silver deposits around them, a feature Harris was extremely good at producing, although Vicento Boffo and Said later learned, (although Said's were always a little bit less delicate.)
It was originally an accidental feature, but one that became deliberate.

[Patrick]

It is beginning to look as if the signature on my Pulled Ear vase is unusual......... maybe added later but does not seem to be made with a dremel tool.

 It looks as if a lot of pressure has been used rather than a light scribe.

I have asked the seller for provenance on the piece.

It would be useful to know when these tag type paper labels were first used ?

Cheers,

Patrick.