Topic: Packaging tragedy

[Helen W.]

Honestly, I wasn't going to post again just yet  but I just had to post the only photo it was safe to take of a vase that arrived today. 

From the well-known auction site, pieces of what I am pretty sure is the Jet colourway of the Caithness Silk & Marble cased range, but I'd appreciate confirmation. I haven't come across one of these for a long time, and now there may be one fewer in the world.

It would have fitted well into the contemporary 'streaky' part of our motley collection, but since it was wrapped in thin paper towel, a single layer of bubble wrap, then a jiffy bag, it didn't stand a chance. The seller can't understand it. Someone must have dropped it!  Am still cleaning up powdered glass that fell out of the package - a bit hazardous with a cat around.

[chopin-liszt]

I can only say you are not alone. This has happened to most of us at one time or another.
Mine was a fabulous ceiling lampshade, stuffed with newspaper inside - and a single layer outside too, then a bin liner (not even a jiffy bag!) and tape. The parcel flopped and crunched. No bubble wrap.

I think you were correct with your attribution to Caithness. I've found the white and black version in Mark's Caithness book, which is called Ivory, yours was called Jet. The range was called Marble designed by Gordon Hendry in 2001, it was produced from 2001-2.
The barrel shape is called a teardrop vase, the 9.25" tall version is Cat. No. 8030.
I'll keep my eyes peeled in the local charity shops for another for you.

[Helen W.]

  Not even jiffy bag?! I don't know why I'm still amazed that some people have no common sense, but I am. And you're right that, sooner or later, this was bound to happen. The poor woman has just sent me another mortified apology, and I'm beginning to feel a bit sorry for her.

Bless you for keeping an eye out for me.  Only in the past few months have I started to look more seriously at the complex Caithness ranges that had short production runs, as well as the early, simpler designs of O'Broin and Terris. I'd always thought of the company as one that produced safe, rather twee giftware that Granny would like for her birthday.

[Helen W.]

Ooops...I forgot to thank you for the confirmation. 

[chopin-liszt]

Hopefully, she won't do it again.
I did have a plate arrive in one piece in a jiffy bag. It was an old plate I'd put some baking on for my friend when she visited, for her journey home.
I didn't even want it back. So of course, it survived.

You're correct in thinking Caithness did do some wonderful and complicated, short-lived stuff. It didn't sell terribly well, because it was expensive to produce and, as you say, they have the reputaiton of twee giftware and copiously innumerable numbers of paperweights. Folk couldn't see past that, to see how good the glass actually is.