Topic: Vase with black loops, Chinese, Murano or other , Id help please

[Scott13]

Hi, was wondering whether anyone can help in identifying this vase. 

It's about 23cm ( 9" ) high, with a cut and polished rim.
It has a concave base with an uneven smooth pontil mark. There's quite a bit of wear on the contact points.
The inner white isn't particularly thick, but it isn't patchy and looks quite bright - I'm not sure whether it could be described as ' watered down milk ' !

There are some seeds scattered about.

The glass is very clear.

Any help/opinions appreciated 

Scott

[Lustrousstone]

My guess would be Chinese. The base doesn't have a pontil mark; that's just the result of cooling.

[Scott13]

Hi,
Yes, I think you're probably right - possibly a Home Decor piece ?
I think it's been very well made - I can't fault it.
Another one for my Chinese collection !

Many thanks for your reply 

Scott

[Scott13]

Hi,
Please bear with me Christine, I know very little about glassmaking and I'm trying to get my head round what can and what can't be described as a pontil mark.
Am I right in assuming that if a vase's rim has been ground and polished it won't have a pontil mark because the punty will have been attached to its top; and any raised bumps or marks will always have been formed by the cooling process.
So essentially we can forget about pontil marks if a piece has a ground and polished rim.
And if a vase hasn't a pontil mark it will have been probably mould blown as opposed to free blown.
You'll be thinking I should know all about this by now - must be a slow learner 

Scott

[Lustrousstone]

Am I right in assuming that if a vase's rim has been ground and polished it won't have a pontil mark because the punty will have been attached to its top; and any raised bumps or marks will always have been formed by the cooling process

Mostly yes, sometimes but not often you get both. A pontil mark is where the pontil rod has been removed. It may be merely broken off, in which case you get sharp bits. Or it may be broken off and then heat treated to a greater or lesser extent; the greater the heating the smoother the finish (you may even end up with just wrinkles as on Strathearn paperweights). Or it may be ground away to varying levels of finish.

A pontil rod is solid and always attached at the "bottom" of a piece while it is still on the blowing iron (it is then cracked off the blowing iron), so it is possible to make something without using one, just the hollow blowing iron. In this case you get a vase that may have a cut and polished rim or a heat treated rim and no pontil mark.

And if a vase hasn't a pontil mark it will have been probably mould blown as opposed to free blown.

Pontil marks have nothing to do with free blowing or mould blowing. They relate to whether the item has been removed from the blowing iron for additional shaping or other hot working.

[Scott13]

Hi,
Many thanks for the clarification - much appreciated 

Scott