Topic: Phoenician and other Glass

[Nannycamera]

Hi again, I am still trying to get the hang of this forum and have just realised I have been replying to myself on my recent post about the pink Phoenician vase.  I uploaded a couple of pics of some of my other Phoenician pieces that you might like to see.

I was going to start a new post "Spot the odd one out" and attach a couple of pics of my newly arranged collection. Hubby recently put up some new glass shelving, much more space and lit from above. I wondered if you would like to be the first to have a go?

Your collection is fabulous by the way, so many pieces.
Kind regards

Rita

[chopin-liszt]

I think I can see two bits of Isle of Wight Azurene, both unusual and limited shapes too - the flat pebble and the small footed tealight holder, and the pink swirly is Mtarfa. Is the lurid yellow Mtarfa too? The pink and green stuff is Mtarfa. And that wiggly bottle.
The rest seems to be Mdina or Phoenician.

I have been running around the house looking for a cylinder vase which I suspect is very early Phoenician, but it is unmarked. I think it's vanished upstairs (I can't get there any more) and I'm still not able to cope well enough with the new pc and the sorts of programmes it uses - (they're far too complicated for me), to post pics.
The instructions might as well be in whalesong.

It is marginally wider and shorter than Mdina cylinders.
It is a fairly deep blue, with Mdina-like silver salt yellow decor - the kind with the long vertical streak, spread out sideways around, but the blue was achieved by a mass of overlapping blobs of clear glass containing blue enamel. It takes a bit of study before you realise the blue is achieved differently. It is a bit more finely blown than Mdina.
My guts have always thought it was Phoenician. 

[Nannycamera]

You are right about the Isle of Wight Azurine but it is immediately above the large red Valletta Glass vase. The smaller pieces either side are Phoenician. The Azurine is a Lollipop without the top made for export to USA where I found it advertised on Ebay. It is signed Michael Harris, England  No. 46/250 and I paid just $60. I had to have it as I will probably never be lucky enough to own a Michael Harris signed Mdina piece.

Yes the 2 yellow vases with the swirly pattern are certainly Mtarfa which you very kind people on this forum provided me with the answer to a while back. Because I visit all the glass factories whenever I visit Malta I have ended up with this mixed collection. I buy things that catch my eye in a variety of colours and styles.  I try to remember where I picked them up as they are not always signed.

If you do manage to locate the missing vase, do post a photo as I might be able to recognise it.

The only problem with my new shelves, compared to the small unit they used to be on, is that as they are nicely spaced now I could actually fit more on. haha.

Did you notice the shelf above the Azurine? I have managed to acquire a few pieces of Mdina when they were producing glass with a green hue. The axe head is dated 1980 as are the seahorses either side. The seahorses are rare I think because they are marked Mdina,
dated 1980 but also bear the inscription "Crown Paints". I have tried to find out why the glass in 1980 was this colour and have read it was something to do with the fact they would often run out of glass and recycle old bottles?

[chopin-liszt]

They used old milk bottles for cullet sometimes - hence the greeny hue. I haven't paid too much attention to later stuff - I tend to stick with pre - '80s, and only the major things from that late. (like the cubes and tall two-tone strapped bottles and I have a bit of a passion for the Tortoishell Fish with triangular wings - I prefer those to any of the tv shaped ones.)

Check out IoWSG Pebble as a name - I suspect it is not a lollipop without a neck, but a proper and scarce Pebble.
I have one bit of Valetta - a decanter, and the most elegant of shapes, in the Mtarfa colourway of the orange blobes over white, with green spots. I had hoped it was Mtarfa and was annoyed to find the Valetta label. 
I tend to avoid paperweights and animal things and the contemporary stuff.

[Anne]

I've split this out of the Malta topic as it diverts away from the original subject

[chopin-liszt]

Thanks Anne. We were getting a bit carried away with our enthusiasm.

[chopin-liszt]

I've managed to get hold of the blue cylinder vase from upstairs. it has a satinated finish on the base. It also has a fabby comet-like streak of silver iridesence.
Something i have noticed on other Phoenician glass - so we know Paul Said was one of the few makers accomplished at achieving that effect. 
What I can't find is the thread where Christine said all the Phoenician bases she's seen have been highly polished.
I have two bases that are satinated. Although I have no confirmation from any other source that that is what my cylinder is. Just my guts. I trust my guts, mostly. 
My other satinated base piece is marked and labelled and even has the Valetta shop sticker.