Topic: Extremely unusual Etling? sand-blasted? double gourd amber vase

[chilternhills]

I came across an unusual vase, signed 'Etling France'. So unusual that my concerns were raised whether it is by Etling.

It is an amber, double gourd vase, apparently sandblasted with an abstract design, on a heavy round foot, about 25 cm high. It has an unfinished pontil mark and wheel-cut (or sandblasted?) signature. I have added some pictures here with express, written permission from Maxime Castillo of Galerie Maxime, Paris (http://galeriemaxime.fr/en/galerie-maxime-en/).

In discussions with Maxime he suggests the big foot of the vase is more the style of Degué or D'Avesn. We ruled out Schneider since it was thought too thick for Schneider, too heavy, and with Schneider it's acid etched. Nevertheless we both agreed that it is probably designed for Etling. We both thought: "Why sign it like that?"

However, there is  reason to be cautious. Has anyone seen anything similar attributed to Etling? I would love to have your thoughts. Thanks.

Anton

[chopin-liszt]

The Etling and France lettering on the base is not aligned properly. The letters are all over the place, they look as if they were put there randomly, one letter at a time. 

[Anne Tique]

I haven't seen anything similar attributed to Etling but I think Muller Frères might be worth investigating.

[Anne Tique]

It is not a very good example but there are a few more out there, they didn't do a lot of sandblasted decors.


www.ader-paris.fr/html/fiche.jsp?id=5491442&np=1&lng=fr&npp=20&ordre=&aff=1&r=



Unfortunately Pinterest doesn't show any explanations anymore but I remember seeing this vase earlier this year.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/510525307755898240/

[chilternhills]

Does anyone have the book by Benoît Tallot on Les Frères Muller? I don't yet have it in my library. I am wondering if there is more information in there.

Update 20 minutes later: just bought the book!

[tremblas]

A decor MULLER FRERES of the same style found in the book "Dictionnaire des Maitres verriers" by Philippe Olland on page 233

[chilternhills]

The book by Benoît Tallot on Muller Frères arrived today. Absolutely stunning photography! A beautiful book. The shape shown from the Dictionnaire by Philippe Olland is shown on a page reproduced from a Muller Frères catalogue dated to the 1930s. The sand-blasted design is different but the shape is the same. It seems Muller Frères produced a few sand-blasted pieces, but that wasn't their preferred technique.

Interestingly the book by Tallot does NOT show the double gourd shape or design as shown in the vase attributed to Etling. I conclude that the jury is still out on that. It seems that Etling like Muller Frères may have produced a few sand-blasted pieces, but it wasn't what they are known for. I guess all the glass companies in the period that Etling was active copied techniques and styles to some extent.

I removed one design from our catalogue, unnumbered and unsigned but tentatively attributed to Etling. It was in the Muller Frères catalogue. The vase was typical of Etling in style as well as being moulded and in opalescent glass. I am awaiting feedback from the contributor to the Etling catalogue of that particular item before finally removing it permanently, just in case the mould was shared between both companies, which is not unheard of with other companies.

[Anne Tique]

The shape of your vase in french is called coloquinte, perhaps you come across some examples I haven't spotted yet.

I haven't had the time to find out if Muller did commissions for other brands, but as Etling wasn't a producer but 'éditeur', wholesaler/dealer of fine arts and a designer, it could be a possibility. Dealers in fine arts were pretty common in France at the time, creating their own brands but commissioned and produced by other well known companies. Maybe it is a sample and the order never went through?

Sandblasting was done a lot by Scailmont and a few other Belgian companies and just a couple in France. It is indeed not a common technique and I don't know why. Perhaps it was less popular or too expensive … or just messy  Daum did a bit, Jean Luce, Legras and a couple more but i got the impression always on a small scale.

Re mould sharing, I've mentioned this before in another thread that in the 20ies and 30ies before copyright, copies were not uncommon. Marius Sabino was quoted in a report  complaining about the 'copieurs d'étalages', specially hired people who were literally standing in front of a shop window display, sketching the designs in a notebook, to be used elsewhere but I'm not saying your vase is a copy in shape or design. I always find it difficult to believe that moulds were shared by different companies because they were so expensive to produce, but saying that, i have never looked into that to be honest.   

[chilternhills]

I have found another vase using a similar technique.

https://www.antiquesboutique.com/antique-glass-vases/etling-art-deco-large-obsidian-black-glass-vase-with-etched-design/itm41243#.X2e9lYt7nIV


The description given is "Obsidian black glass vase with abstract design by Etling c1930. Footed spherical body with funnel neck. Acid etched abstract geometric design around the body providing an attractive matt charcoal-grey contrast to the black glass. Ground pontil mark and etched mark "Etling France" to base. The vase measures 30.5 cm in height."

I have not yet had a chance to research this vase. I shall check the museum library this week. In the meantime I will ask permission to use a couple of pictures on the Etling web site http://projetetling.wikidot.com/.

Anton