Topic: Ruby cut classical scene vase for show and thought's.

[brucebanner]

I think the best quality wise glass i have bought this year it looks like it should belong in a  museum, hand cut and i'm really  rough guessing made locally 1840's in Stourbridge.

Three scenes all cut.

Any thought's welcome.

It measures 12 inches in height.

Regards Chris.

[Paul S.]

no reason Chris, that you can't donate to a museum

You know me, a skeptic to the last ...........   whilst the appearance of cut to clear is evident, particularly around the rim area, I'm having trouble seeing the effects of genuine cutting on this one.     The pattern of the woman's dress shows intaglio work no doubt, but those areas in relief look unusual to me  -  almost cameo work possibly, and very flat looking - and the image is in many way simplistic.    Do you think there has been some acid work on this piece?   

[brucebanner]

Yes i would have thought so on the bigger areas, all the edges are razor sharp i did not think you could get that with acid?, could be cameo, i have not seen anything like it before, i'm much preferring my own museum at the mo that way i can pick the glass up.

Here is a close up of the base.

It's all too irregular if it had a pattern put on in wax it would be more uniform i would have thought?.

[glassobsessed]

Chris showed me this vase yesterday and I would agree with cameo. In this case a combination of acid to remove the larger areas and cutting for the detail. I thought it fine quality work, the layer of red glass seemed quite deep in comparison to other cameo work I have handled, there is a wide and shallow polished pontil mark.

I too thought English a fair bet, from what I have seen it did not strike me as typically French or for that matter Bohemian, especially given the subject matter. Chris, do you have a copy of Hadjamach's 19thC British glass? Just thought it might be useful here.

Lovely vase!

John

[flying free]

The subject matter has been used on Bohemian, Russian and English glass I have seen.

I think also on French glass.

If the rim is fire-polished then together with the large pontil mark and perhaps stem and foot design, Bohemian would not be my first point of research.  However that isn't to say it is not Bohemian.  Loetz used fire-polished rims and polished pontil marks for example. 

These designs were 'popular' at a certain period -  look up Etruscan on the board and you will see some of the research I've done on my pieces.

Agree it is cameo.  How it was done (i.e. by hand or using acid etching) I don't know.

Can you post a picture of all three scenes please.

m

[bOBA]

This is a really great piece of glass! I do not have much more to add than the views expressed by John and "M" but I have also seen it in person. The delicacy of the work is impressive in person, incredibly deep and fine lines on the columns. I am not sure acid alone could achieve such precision. I tended towards Stourbridge as an origin somehow, partly due to the clear foot, though the threads on Etruscan style decors that "M" pioneered on GMB are worth re-reading for background to the decor used in various countries... a great piece from anywhere!

Robert (bOBA)

[brucebanner]

Thanks all a few more pictures.

Yes John, got both of charles books and could not see anything similar.

[brucebanner]

A side picture.

[Paul S.]

Note to the Moderators, please  ................   I have a complaint.....

It has come to my notice that fifty percent of the respondents to this original post have seen 'in person' this item of glass  -  giving those individuals a vastly greater advantage regarding assessment, than the other two people.             Thus, including the o.p., two thirds of interested parties here have handled this glass and not had to rely on seeing pix on the screen only - a clear majority have therefore been treated to a head start, and given preferential treatment.         This sort of discrimination must cease - fairs fair and we must all start from the same position of ignorance  -  this sort of old boy's network is typical of today's 'clubby' attitude toward some of the older members who contribute, regularly, and on an unpaid basis.
Signed  -  an old boy.

 

[Anne]

Paul, congratulations,  you are this week's winner of Whinge of the Week. That's the best whinge I've read in quite a while.