Topic: Verification sought: are these Murano?

[Estella elizabeth]

Hi can anybody tell me anything about the figure and whether the case is Murano as I'm a bit confused by the lane on base TIA

[Estella elizabeth]

Sorry I've done it again

[ahremck]

A few more photos are desirable.  One of the whole item.  A second of that label - close up and focused.  A third of the base.  Thanks.

You should try to optimise your photos as large as allowed - just less than 125Kb the limit.  It allows us to expand them for better detail.

Ross

[Estella elizabeth]

Hi can any tell me whether these are actually Murano as I bought them cheap from eBay
Thankyou

[Estella elizabeth]

More pictures

[Estella elizabeth]

And another

[Paul S.]

hello Estella.              figures similar to those showing in your top picture, showing traditional dress/costume from a variety of countries, appear to have first seen the light of day in the 1940s, and these original figures have been attributed variously to some of the big designer names from Murano - some have labels, but others owe their provenance to mere verbal attribution based on other similar known work.           Many of those early examples are shown with gilded/gold coloured and slightly domed bases.

In the intervening years similar figural work has been made in vast quantities, on Murano, for the tourist market  -  someone here might collect these things and be able to say if yours appear to be from Murano  -  have to say I've no idea if such figures have been made elsewhere.

Decoration showing on the vase in the lower picture, we see often, and usually on vases of some description.           Whenever I see an example, and they are quite common, I always look for a label though only once did I find one, and now have embarrassingly forgotten what it said.    You appear to have a label - will you please tell us exactly what it says - thanks.
The decoration on these things is always recognizable  -  it's a thick enamel and the colours are similar on most pieces, though the white feathering I'd not seen before.
I believe we have attributions of Murano and Czechoslovakia in the past, so again best to have an opinion from someone who collects these pieces.

Your pix in this instance are acceptable, and appreciate you have taken these on a phone, but images that blow up a tad bigger will be easier for us folk with less than perfect eyesight.            Have you taken these pictures, or might they have been taken by the ebay seller?

fingers crossed others here will have the answers you need.

[Anne]

Hi and welcome to the board, Estella elizabeth.  I've merged your topic in Glass with your topic in Murano, we don't need duplicate copies it just confuses us, so all your images are now in the same place in this topic. You can reply to your own topic by using the Reply option below it if you need to add extra pictures or information.

Just a few handy points to help you get the best out of the board:
1. All identification requests go into Glass unless they are of items carrying a label of origin.
2. Images need to be 700 pixels along the longest edge, and under 125kb in size. We have a help topic in the Help forum if you need guidance how to resize your images to fit.
3. One item per topic please, so we don't get muddled over what we are discussing - once identified a moderator will move the topic to the relevant location forum and with multiple items that's messy and causes the mod's a lot of work unpicking and restitching posts into new topics for moving them around.
4. Subjects are important. Use a descriptive subject for your topic: two reasons, one, it will catch the attention of those members with an interest in your piece, and two, it will allow the search function on the board to find things easier. The subject line carries a heavier weighting in search terms, so if it's a non-descriptive word or just a Help! etc type subject  then search won't locate it properly.

Hope this helps, but feel free to ask if you get stuck and need assistance with using the board.

[Paul S.]

Believe there have been some problems in recent years with fake labels on glass from the far east, which were claiming to be from Murano - though your vase is certainly not from the Far East  -  your label appears to be bona fide, and appears on the GMB Murano labels archive as per the link attached, which includes some helpful text:-

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?album=102&pos=67

Unfortunately, I've no idea if your vase is typical of pieces produced by this factory  -   it's not unknown for a label to have become attached to glass where the two may not have started life together.                        Let's hope others here will be able to confirm the two are a 'pair'

[Paul S.]

Hi Estella  -  regret the lack of replies, but not unexpected.           People here are well aware of the type of glass that you've posted, we've seen similar on many occasions, but the nature of your question is seen as a contentious one - insofar as you're asking us to adjudicate on whether the seller has correctly or incorrectly described these pieces, and for many people here putting their head on the block is frightening and a step too far - especially as we are confined to seeing your glass only on the screen.           Members here foresee arguments and worse, if an attribution/provenance is suggested that doesn't agree with the original description  -  unfortunately, the identification of much glass remains speculative and not an exact science, though we do our best.

As for the figures, my opinion is that these are likely to be from Murano  -  vast amounts of very similar work has been made in recent decades and similar pieces are seen in U.K. charity shops often.         That's not to say yours couldn't be from elsewhere, but on balance their stated origin is probably correct.

As for the vase, my opinion is that I'm thinking that the origin, as indicated by the label, is open to question.              I've looked back at my comments from two or three years ago, and it appears that the label on a small vase carry similar decoration said Bohemiae - which in today's money is the equivalent of Czechoslvakia - use of the word Bohemia carries a potentially better cache in terms of value and history.            Reasons for suggestion eastern Europe as a possible alternative source to Murano are  ............
1......the heavy gilding around the rim                2..........very thick enamel decoration              3........the white almost freehand floral-ferny trails of white enamel.
Points 1 and 3 in particular are features found on glass from that part of Europe  -  try looking on the net at various sources for decorative glass and you should see other examples, though not necessarily identical shapes. 

Ultimately, your question is probably academic - as you say, you've bought these cheaply, and most important of all you've bought them because you liked them - the best of all possible reasons.

The above are my opinions of course, and mine alone -  and there may be those who dissent, but if we don't hear from them, then I suspect you may not hear further on this matter.