Topic: Mdina 'Cut Ice' lollipop, signed Michael Harris

[chilternhills]

I just added this stunning, rare Mdina 'Cut Ice' lollipop to the museum collection. The base is signed by Michael Harris: 'Michael Harris Mdina Glass Malta'. One face is cut with large polished facets, hence the name. Measures 22.5 cm high, 19.3 cm max width. The auctioneer's suggestion was it was made in the late 1960s rather than the early 1970s because of the many small 'seeds' in the colourless casing and the slight green tinge to the glass. The colours in the main body are just amazing.

[chopin-liszt]

How many signed Ice-cut lollipops do you think there might be altogether, Anton?
Lots of them do appear to be signed.
Rare is always a difficult and subjective word to use. 
Some folk might consider different ranges of numbers to comply. 

[chilternhills]

I've no idea how many of these were made. But when I was visiting IOWSG a couple of weeks ago they whipped out the auction catalogue and pointed out the lot as something special. A few days later at the auction viewing another MH we know well described it as 'rare'. That's good enough for me. I haven't seen one myself before. To me 'rare' means a handful, maybe ten or under.

[chopin-liszt]

I'd agree with you that under 10 should fit. I'd suspect there are more than 10 though.
There are about 40 known crizzle stones now. They're not as "rare" as once thought.
I've got a signed ice-cut lollipop myself. I've had it a very long time and have never actually ever consider it "rare".
So I was very surprised to see the word used, especially by somebody I respect as a stickler for accuracy. 

[Patrick]

I have two...........
Are the signatures similar too yours ?

[glassobsessed]

Very nice Lollipop Anton.

In relation to other shapes produced at Mdina in a given time period rare would seem fair enough, harder to find than say a globe vase and more common than an onion vase.

By chance mine was the very first piece of Mdina that I had the good fortune to buy and started my interest in Harris and Mdina.

John

[chopin-liszt]

I had about 6 of them, just one was signed, but I do (and did) normally avoid signed because of the stupid prices.
(I am totally unimpressed with signatures. They do nothing to improve the appearance of a piece. They're just some scratches on the bottom.)

It was about 20 years ago when I started collecting and first got them.  I had "so many" I kind of stopped paying too much attention to them.

During those early collecting days of mine, I'd say ice-cut lollipops were more common than even ordinary large globes. And certainly far more common than the Japanese globes.

Things may have changed.  They do, over time. 

[chopin-liszt]

I've done some digging around. I had 6, but only have three left now.
I have found pics though.
The first is of the MH signed one and a tall slim one I believe to be his work.

The next pic is of two I have sold. I notice they have the crizzle pattern inside, which the others do not.
This is an extra stage added into the making.
Should cut-ice lollipops with and without the crizzle web be considered different beasts?


I've noticed the same thing in the cubes, which are just the same thing, but a different shape.
Some have the crizzle web, some do not. 

[glassobsessed]

Interesting, this one is crizzled too, from memory pretty sure it was made after Harris left. Are yours dated or signed Sue? 

[chopin-liszt]

No. No marks.
Only the MH signed one on the left hand side of my first pic.
You have had hold of them, but you let them go too. 

Anton's has no crizzle web, neither do Patrick's.
I'm of the opinion that it might be a feature to mark the post-Harris period. Not that it is, it needs proper confirmation.

The cubes are post Harris. They don't all contain crizzle webs either.

I rather like that one with the very, very deep clear bottom part. I've only got one small cut-ice like that - but it's Tortioseshell.
I've never seen another Totroiseshell one. 
I wasn't counting it as a true Cut-ice bit because it's so small and it's not got the usual multicoloured insides.
And we haven't yet got into the Cut-ice ones that aren't cut, but just flattened into shape on the marver.
(sorry for avoiding the use of the loppipol word. I get in a terrible tangle trying to type it. every single time.  )